Dueling Suitors
by Lightofthewest
Summary: When a spell goes awry, Spike and Angel find themselves dueling for the love of the same woman. And it isn't Buffy!
1. Chapter One First Day

Disclaimer: All _Angel_ and _Buffy _properties belong to Joss Whedon and his associates. No infringement upon their rights is intended. This story is loosely based on the Season 5 of _Angel._ Italics indicate thoughts, and bold indicates emphasis.

Chapter One – First Day

August --

Lily ran her neatly manicured hands down her black skirt to smooth it as she examined herself in the brightly polished glass of the building. She felt quite small when faced with the looming structure before her. She went through a mental checklist to steady her nerves.

_Straight black skirt that touches the tops of my knees? Check. Crisp white linen blouse? Check. Short black jacket? Check. _With one more deep breath, she stepped into the lobby.

_Right, Wolfram and Hart. _Her eyes went to the directory posted near the elevators and located her floor. _This is it, _she sighed. _It's now or never. I wonder what exactly these guys need with an in-house linguist? _

With a toss of her head, she quietly stepped into the open elevator. Her appointment was for 6:15 – dusk, which had seemed odd to her when she set everything up. But then lots of things seemed odd to her, like the woman standing next to her loudly discussing her sex life on her cell phone.

"Oh, you are not going to believe this. He actually had feathers, and then. . ."

Above in the offices of Wolfram and Hart, Angel paced. The blinds of his office were still drawn; he realized the sun wasn't a threat here, but old habits died hard. _Much like everything else around me. _He went over the interviews he'd managed to squeeze in between handling other "business." Why Wesley thought they needed an additional linguist on staff was beyond him, but he'd gone along with the idea.

_Lily Rose. Who gives their daughter two flower names? _Angel glanced at the calendar on his desk. _ What sort of teasing must she have had?_

Angel pushed the intercom on his desk, "Harmony, tell Wesley the interview Giles set up for us will be here soon."

"Can do boss," came the perky reply.

"'Nother little old lady come to court?" asked a voice from behind the office door.

"Go away, Spike. I'm busy," snarled Angel.

"Tut, tut, Peaches. Just here to grab me smokes. Left 'em behind after our last little bonding session."

"Fine, get them, and go."

"So, she the one Tweedy sent?" Spike asked as he wandered to Angel's desk and pulled a pack of Marlboro's out of the middle desk drawer. He noticed the résumé on the desk. _Lily Rose. What sort of daft name was that then? Bloody perfect. Just what we need. A little, fluffy victim girl._

Angel grabbed the cigarettes from Spike's hand, earning a startled protest from the shorter man, walked to his office door, and threw the cigarettes into the foyer. They landed in front of the elevators.

"_**There**_ are your smokes. Now run along like a good boy, won't you, Spike?"

"Right, well, I was leaving anyway," was the curt reply.

DING!

Spike bent to pick up his smokes as the elevator doors opened.

"And then the chocolate got caught in . . ."

Lily hurriedly got out of the elevator. _Thank God, this is my floor. I __**so **__don't want to know where she got chocolate. _She was so distracted she didn't notice the blond man in front of her until it was almost too late.

"Watch it, luv. Nearly spoiled my smokes," muttered Spike, waving off the woman's black leather pump that nearly ground his fags to mush. As he slowly began to stand, he let his eyes travel up the leg that belonged to the foot that wore the pump. _Nice._

"Pardon?" Lily quickly drew back her foot and stopped, nearly getting caught in the elevator doors as they smoothly shut. "Sorry. You know, those things'll kill ya." She smiled slightly at him and moved off.

_Now that bird might be worth looking into,_ Spike thought as he watched her walk away towards the reception area.

"Can I help you?" said the rather bored blonde woman behind the desk.

"Yes, I'm here for a 6:15 interview with Wes –." The receptionist cut her off and came bubbling out from behind her desk.

"Oh, goody, you're language lady. The boss has been all brood-y and stuff waiting on you. Follow me."

_Brood-y? Did she just say brood-y? Is that even a word? What in the world is going on here?_

The blonde escorted Lily into an enormous office that quite obviously belonged to someone who wanted to exude alpha-male. She let her eyes roam around the room. _Lots of wood, lots of leather, lots of sharp, pointy implements?_

"Lookit, boss. Language lady, and she isn't shaky like the last four." Harmony said as she pulled Lily from behind her and pushed Lily towards her boss.

Lily's mouth dropped at that comment. She thought she had been complimented, but she couldn't be sure.

A voice from the shadows on the other side of the room said, "Thank you Harmony for that _incredibly_ tactful assessment of our recent spate of interviewees." The voice wasn't angry, just tired. "You can go now."

"'Kay," was the perky reply, and out she went with a bounce unaware that she had been insulted.

_Oh, she's definitely a native. Not LA, though. One of the 'burbs?_ Lily brought a hand to her head, and she felt the familiar pang of a headache beginning. _Not now, dammit. Gotta make an __**impression**_.

"Did I miss her? Has Harmony run her off?"

_British, Oxbridge, trying desperately to sound like he isn't from somewhere. Sheffield, maybe? _Her head was beginning to pound. _Damn, why do I do this? Okay, deep breaths, stop playing Professor Higgins and just get through the interview._

The man emerged from the shadows, and when he spoke Lily felt the tingle in her head ease, "Won't you sit down, Ms. Rose?"

_Damn, damn, damn. Irish, Limerick? Galway? Ow. Stupid head. Two Brits and an Irishman. Talk about exploiting a girl's weakness. Can this possibly get any worse?_

". . .Quite an impressive résumé for one so relatively young," the shadow man continued.

"Yes, well, I like to keep busy?" _God, that sounds stupid even to me._

"Perhaps introductions are in order, Ms. Rose? I am Wesley Wyndham-Pryce; I'm in charge of the research department where most of your work will talk place." Wesley stepped forward and shook her hand, gesturing to the couch in front of the desk.

_Did he say "will"? Does that mean no Inquisition from two handsome men from the UK? Oh thank God. I don't think I would have survived that. Huh? Hand out? Right. Smile; no, not deer in headlights, the real one; good, now shake. Bollocks, I'm no good at this. _

"And I'm Angel. I'm in charge of Wolfram and Hart. The LA branch. For the time being." He extended his hand to the young woman in front of him. Her heart was racing, more so than any of the other candidates. He inhaled just a little. _That's interesting. No real fear, just nervousness and. . . honeysuckle? What an__** unusual **__combination._ He smiled in spite of himself. _She might work._

_Wow! Gotta love a man with shoulders, broad shoulders. Oh good Lord woman, get a grip. _Lily mentally gave herself a smack. _He's a man. Period. Shake his hand, and get on with the sodding interview. Oh no. I'm doing it already. Can't mimic. Not now! They'll be offended. Is he smiling? Why is he smiling? And why do I suddenly feel like prey?_

She took his hand firmly and shook it. She was surprised at how cool it was, but was even more surprised when he shook her hand firmly in return. Unbidden, a smile flashed across her own face. _Oh, I __**like**__ him. No wet-fish-cause-you're-a-girl handshakes for this one. I'll definitely like working here._

"Ha-hem, yes well. Could we get to the matter at hand?" Wesley interrupted the interlude. He wondered what there was about this woman that made Angel smile. He also wanted to know why Rupert Giles was listed as a reference. When he called to check her out, the other former Watcher had been vague to say the least. In fact all he said was, "You'll want her."

Lily turned her attention quickly back to Wesley, deciding that standing and grinning at the boss was not the world's best idea. She very slowly sat down on the couch that was positioned in front of the desk, crossed her ankles and waited. She shifted slightly to get more comfortable, and her skirt inched just a little higher. Blushing slightly, she ran a hand down the fabric hoping she was surreptitiously pulling the skirt down to a decent length. Angel, however, noticed and continued to smile.

When she sat down, Wesley briefly wondered if what Giles had meant had anything to do with the absolutely lovely legs that were now crossed in front of him. He shook his head slightly to clear it and sat in the armchair next to her.

"Ha-hem yes well.."

"You said that already, Wes." Angel moved to sit behind his desk. _Now this __**is **__amusing. Wesley seems flustered. That doesn't happen everyday, at least not anymore._ He was beginning to like this girl more and more.

"Right then. Ms. Rose, why don't you tell us a bit about yourself?"

_This is always the worst part. I hate the "tell us about yourself" part of interviews. _Lily rapidly went through the inventory of items that were safe to relate to relative strangers when it hit her. Angel. She'd heard that name before. Rupert had mentioned it in a letter once. Lily smiled. _Oh, definitely the right place for me. I owe you big time, Ripper._

_Odd. Her nerves are gone. Now it's just honey-suckle. And her body language has shifted. She's more certain. _

"As you probably know from my letters and my résumé, I've done quite a bit of traveling over the last ten years or so. While I don't hold any official degrees, I have completed language programs at Berkley, Dartmouth, Brigham Young, and Michigan. I've done freelance translation for just about anyone that needs it from archaeologists to newspapers to the UN." Lily paused and briefly chewed her bottom lip before continuing.

"Which all boils down to the fact that I'm a polyglot as you probably guessed." She winced waiting for the questions. There weren't any. Just polite interest on both their faces. "Oh, sorry. People usually don't know what that means, and I end up making a fool of myself explaining that just because the title means "many tongues" it doesn't mean I _have_ many tongues." Wesley stifled a small laugh at the last bit of information. She smiled broadly at him in return. _I hope this means I'm doing well._

"Anyways, I can translate virtually any language. Spoken language, that is. I have to hear it before I can translate," she said to Wesley and then turning her gaze to Angel she added in a conspiratorial tone, "And any language means **any **_– _Sanskrit, Dalmatian, demon, whatever." She shrugged as if the gift weren't a big deal.

Angel leaned forward, "Why would you think we would care if you can translate demon languages?" His voice was quiet, smooth, and more than a little threatening. If she had been paying closer attention, she might have noticed the hint of gold in his otherwise deep brown eyes.

Lily's eyes widened in surprise. _Oops, now I've done it. _Determined to muddle through, she squared her shoulders and replied, "Because Rupert told me to apply, and he never sends me where my unique talents would go to waste."

Angel leaned back in his chair. _No change in her breathing or her scent. Near as I can tell she is being honest. She calls him Rupert, huh? What is she – 28? Just how does Giles know her and how well?_

As if on cue, Wesley asked, "I wanted to ask you that. How do you know Ru…Mr. Giles?"

"Hmmm?" She tore her eyes from Angel's. _My, what a strange test of wills this is turning into._ "I met him ten years ago in Hong Kong. I translated a scroll for him from the Eastern Chou dynasty. We've kept in touch." A tiny sigh escaped her lips.

"I see." Wesley looked down at the résumé before him and raised an eyebrow. "But that means you were only 18," he said with more vehemence than he intended.

The young woman blushed and shrugged slightly, "It's just a gift. No biggee. There are some hitches. For instance, I have to read aloud what I'm translating. We. . . I never figured out why. Guess I need to feel the language in order to process it." Her hand fluttered to a place just over her heart when she said "feel". "Anyway, with an average-length work I can translate most known languages in two to three days. Unknowns take a little longer," she paused, as if pondering something. "And as I mentioned I do better if I can hear a native speaker first. Sometimes I don't get tone and inflection quite right. Oh, and I mimic," the last was said very quietly.

"I'm sorry?"

"I said I mimic," came the reply in Wesley's voice but from Lily's mouth. A small hand smacked itself over her lips, and grey eyes widened in surprise.

Wesley dropped her résumé in surprise.

Angel moved from behind his desk and over to her. "Welcome to Wolfram and Hart, Lily. I think you'll do just fine."


	2. Chapter Two Making Nice

Chapter Two – Making Nice

Disclaimer: All _Angel_ and _Buffy _properties belong to Joss Whedon and his associates. No infringement upon their rights is intended. This story is loosely based on the current season (5) of _Angel._ Set some time after Spike gets his body back. No spoilers if you're following the series. This story will branch and cross the timeline set up there from time to time. Never been one to follow canon. Lyrics are from "From the Inside" by Def Leppard from the album Retroactive. Reviews would be welcome as I'm a first time author. Italics indicate thoughts, and bold indicates emphasis.

Rating: PG-13; mostly language and innuendo.

*****************************************************************************

"And this rather dismal looking space will be your office I'm afraid." Wesley made a sweeping gesture to encompass the dark vault in the basement of Wolfram and Hart. They had spent the intervening hour touring the building. Now that they were in the book vault, Lily stifled a sneeze; she slowly ran her hand along the shelves of books, stopping to read titles periodically. Her heels made a soft clicking noise as she perused the bookcases. She turned back to Wesley after a moment and smiled.

"I have two questions. One – can I decorate my office space any way I like? And two – where's a utility closet?" She took off her jacket and began to roll up the sleeves on her shirt.

"Well, yes, I suppose you can decorate things. We don't really have a budget for that I don't think," said Wesley looking a little confused at her enthusiasm for the space, which he quite frankly found disturbing, particularly after Spike's encounter with the Reaper. "I'll see if I can find you some supplies. Will you be fine down here?"

Lily grinned, "If this is to be my office, I guess I better **start** being fine down here, don't you think?"

"Right, back in moment."

Lily turned back to the rows and rows of books and smiled. Wesley had mentioned that this vault contained the more esoteric lore in Wolfram and Hart's collection. _What did he say about this place? Oh, right, that they had had an exorcism, just in case. What did that mean? _Lily shuddered and pondered the task before her. She'd be in charge of cataloging, cross-referencing, and translating all the texts. _Not a small order by any means, even with my gift. _She slipped out of her pumps. The sound of her shoes echoing around her was beginning to frighten her. _I'll definitely be bringing a stereo, and maybe a throw rug. I wonder if there's a surplus closet for extra office furniture around here. _Lily ran a hand through her hair as she began to categorize her to do list. She sneezed. _First thing is clean up. Then talk to maintenance about circulation. The books need it a little dryer down here. _

"Here you are. Are you sure you want to tackle this," asked Wesley holding out a mop and bucket, "this evening?"

Lily peered into the bucket and smiled. There were extra rags, furniture polish, and some floor cleaner.

"You are officially my hero, Wesley. And I guess I might as well start now. I'm too nervous to go back to the hotel," she shrugged.

"You're staying in a hotel?"

"Yep. Didn't know for sure if I would be suitable in spite of what Giles said." She pulled the ragged desk chair over to a set of bookcases and clambered up. Wesley watched as she stretched up on tiptoes to dust one of the higher shelves. _Gonna need some of those bookcase ladders too_ she thought.

He watched her swipe at cobwebs for a few minutes before he decided he should offer to help or leave her alone.

"You don't need to baby-sit me unless Angel wanted you to. I get the whole 'trust no one' thing," she offered.

"It's not that. It's, well, I'm afraid I'm not very domestic."

Lily turned to so that she could look down on him. "Now what would make you think I would want a domesticated man to help me?" she asked a giggle coloring her voice.

Wesley laughed. "Then I suppose I could stay for a bit."

"Good. It's nice just having someone about, at least until I get my bearings."

Thirty minutes later, the vintage phone on the desk in the middle of the room rang. Lily was working on the bottom shelves of the second bookcase and bumped her head as she stood up at the sound.

"I'll just get that then, shall I?" Wesley walked over to the phone. "I'll be right up." He turned to Lily with an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry to leave you, but Angel needs me to find a reference to . . ."

"That's fine, Wesley. Thanks for staying as long as you did," she interrupted trying not to appear too disappointed.

"Don't stay down here too long."

"Promise. By the way, what are my hours?

Wesley looked at her for a moment before answering, "Well, I suppose we can be flexible with when you start and stop as long as you put in at least an 8 hour day. Say 9 until?"

Lily pondered that a moment. "Sounds good to me. See you tomorrow."

"Right. Be sure to check in with me when you arrive. I'll introduce you to Lorne." With that Wesley left the dreary basement, and Lily was left to her increasingly gloomy room.

Never one to give into superstition, Lily returned to her work. She found a bathroom down the hall and filled the bucket with hot water and began polishing and cleaning everything in sight. Several hours later, all the dust weasels had been found, spiders carefully shooed, and tiles mopped. She flopped into the creaky office chair and rummaged in the desk for a pen and a piece of paper.

To Do:

Find better office furniture.

Get rug.

Get stereo.

Check on wiring for laptop and remote access to printing. _Maybe I'll hook up to a printer somewhere upstairs. That way I'll have an excuse to get out of here periodically._

Check on ventilation.

Lily tapped the pen against her lip and reviewed her list. Satisfied that it would do for now, she checked her watch. _Ohmigod! It's 2 in the morning. How am I gonna get a cab at this hour?_ She grabbed her jacket, purse, list, and shoes and quickly padded her way to the elevators.

DING!

She reached the main floor without seeing anyone and had done her best to shake the dust out of her hair and clothes. Jacket and shoes were back where they were supposed to be. She looked in her purse for her cell phone to call a cab. _Damn! I left it charging in my room._ She groaned. No one was at the desk, and she didn't see a phone in the lobby. With a sigh, she decided to check on the street. _Maybe I'll get lucky, and a cab will be trolling._

The temperature had dropped a bit since she arrived at the office, so her jacket was no longer uncomfortable. Self-consciously, she pulled it closed in front of her as she scanned up and down the street for a payphone. She was beginning to contemplate going back inside and sleeping in her office rather than getting lost when she heard a voice behind her.

"Bit late to be working isn't it, pet?"

Lily turned and saw the blond from the elevator. _Where did __**he**__ come from, I wonder? _

"Actually I'm not working. I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to get home." _Now why did I tell him that? He could be dangerous. From the look of him, he __**is**__ dangerous. All sharp lines and blue eyes. _

"You mean they didn't offer to see you home?"

"Huh? Oh, I don't think Wesley knew I was still in the basement."

Spike shuddered. _Bloody wankers stuck her in the basement, did they? Wonder why?_ He lit a cigarette and seemed to be considering something for a moment.

"Follow me, luv. Too many big bads out on a night like this. I'll see ya home."

Lily looked at him in surprise before answering, "And I should follow you because?"

_Wha-? Oh right, bird hasn't got a clue who I am. _"I'm Spike. I work 'ere too," he smirked as he said "work," "You coming?"

Lily chewed her lip for a moment. He seemed pleasant enough, and she really couldn't think why she shouldn't go with him. _It's not like the cabbie would be any less like to be a psycho than this guy._ "Sure. My name's Lily."

Spike nodded and gestured for her to follow him to the parking garage. _Now which one would he __**not**__ want me to take then? _Spike carefully considered the cars in front of him. _Right – GTO it is._

Spike sauntered over to the passenger's side of the yellow vehicle and opened the door for Lily. She arched an eyebrow and slid in. He shut her door and moved around to the driver's side. The keys, fortunately, were in the ignition. Wolfram and Hart's reputation made it unlikely that a carjacker would attempt to boost one of the company vehicles from the garage.

"Where to?"

Lily gave him the name of the hotel where she was staying, and they were off in a rush. Spike almost immediately began to fiddle with the stereo. He paused at the sound of a man's voice singing: "I am bad, I am evil /I am winter, I am pain." The dial spinning stopped and Spike grinned. He began to tap his fingers on the steering wheel in time to the music. "Though your screams fill the silence/ Oh, they won't make a sound" the voice on the radio moaned. His smile broadened. Lily, who had been watching him the whole time, suddenly recalled a description from a book she had read a long time ago about a man whose face was all V's. _How did it go? Oh yes. "He looked rather pleasantly like a blond Satan." * Well, that certainly suits him. _The ride continued in this vein with Spike apparently losing himself in one song after another and Lily watching the smooth features of his face.

Rather too soon for her taste, they came to her hotel. Spike pulled the car into the parking garage and stopped in a space near the elevators. Lily stretched for a moment and then turned to Spike to thank him. _ Now what is he smiling at? _

"Thanks for the ride," she chewed her lip unsure of what to say next. She put her hand on the handle and pushed, "Good night, Spike."

"Night, Lil."

"Um," she said turning quickly, "will you be around tomorrow?"

"Maybe" was the reply as he smoothly pulled the car out of the space and towards the garage entrance. He watched her walk into the elevator through the rearview mirror. _Definitely worth looking into. _Checking the time, he noticed that there still were a few hours before dawn. _Think I'll go for a bit of a spin_.

*Taken from _The Maltese Falcon _by Dashiell Hammett. The passage in question is describing Sam Spade.


	3. Chapter Three Singing in the Rain

Chapter Three – Singing In the Rain

Disclaimer: All _Angel_ and _Buffy _properties belong to Joss Whedon and his associates. No infringement upon their rights is intended. This story is based loosely on the current season (5) of _Angel._ Set some time after Spike gets his body back. No spoilers if you're following the series. This story will branch and cross the timeline set up there from time to time. Never been one to follow canon. The lyrics are Tommie Connor's 1944 translation of "Lilly Marlene," a favorite WWII ballad about lost love. Thank you for the reviews; they've really helped. More please? Italics indicate thoughts, and bold indicates emphasis.

Rating: PG-13; mostly language and innuendo.

Lily woke up five hours after Spike dropped her at the hotel. She ought to have been exhausted, but her first official day jitters had her wired for sound. She showered in record time so that she could spend at least thirty minutes looking at her "closet" in the hotel. She chose a pair of grey slacks and a blue silk blouse. _Simple, but effective._ She wandered back into the bathroom to tame her hair into something that resembled a decent hairstyle. In the end, she opted to pull it back and up with a pair of wooden skewers. Light makeup and a splash of cologne, and she was good to go. She briefly looked out the window and noticed the rain coming down in sheets. With a sigh, she called the front desk for a cab. She picked up her laptop, portfolio, and cell before heading out the door.

Twenty minutes later, she was in front of the office again. Butterflies began to flutter in her stomach. She felt like a teenager about to go on her first date. As she got on the elevator, she wondered why Wesley wanted her to meet this Lorne person. If she remembered correctly, he was the head of W&H's entertainment division. _Didn't he mention something about Lorne doing "security checks"? That's seems weird. Then again, just about everything about this place seems a bit off. _The elevator doors opened, and she walked into a relatively empty foyer. For a moment, she simply looked around trying to memorize her surroundings. She hated getting lost, and she had the feeling she would be up here a good deal. Wesley and Angel had asked that she schedule a weekly meeting with them to discuss her progress with the texts in the Great Below.

She had no trouble finding Wesley's office and tentatively knocked. After a moment or two, the door opened to reveal a smiling Wesley.

"Well, I'm glad to see you're back. After leaving you in the basement last night, I was rather concerned that you might not return."

"Trust me. It takes a little more than a scary basement and a few spiders to frighten me," she laughed.

"Yo, Wes. Have you got a minute?"

Lily turned to see a rather attractive African-American gentleman standing in the doorway. _Odd. The accent is inner city, but the suit is __**definitely**__ not. Oh good Lord, I'm doing it again. If I do this every single time I meet someone, my head is going to explode. Although trying to peg where people are from by the sound of their voices might come in handy if security is such an issue. I can at least tell when people are trying to be something they're not. I'll mention it later if I get a chance._

Gunn stopped just inside the doorway to Wesley's office. It was early in the day for anyone to be about, and he was surprised to see a young woman chatting rather pleasantly with his friend.

"Oh, sorry, man. Didn't know you were with anyone. I'll catch you later."

"Wait a moment, Gunn. I want to introduce you to the newest member of my staff. Gunn, this is Lily Rose. Lily, this is Charles Gunn."

Lily stuck out her hand and smiled. _Seems a bit jumpy. I wonder why. _

"I'm pleased to meet you," she said smoothly.

Gunn took the proffered hand and squeezed it. "Welcome aboard. And it's just Gunn. I'm in charge of criminal and civil law."

He was pleased to see the surprise in her eyes. He told Wesley to come see him after he finished with Lily and went back to his own office. Wesley glanced at his watch. He needed to get her down to Lorne's office, and he still hadn't figured out how to tell her that the head of entertainment was a demon. While she had seemed perfectly comfortable with the idea that she would be working with extra-dimensional creatures, the idea and the reality were often two very different things. He sighed.

"Lily," he began, "I should let you know why I wanted you to meet with Lorne. He's a rather unique individual; actually he's not from this dimension. I suppose you would say he's a demon. And he can read your aura."

Lily raised an eyebrow, "And just why do I need to have my aura read, and what does that entail?"

"It's strictly standard security procedure I assure you, and you'll have to sing."

"Sing?" Lily did not look pleased at the prospect. She began to massage her temple as Wesley led her to Lorne's office. "So let me see if I understand all this. I have to make with the pipes, so you can find out if I'm evil?" Her voice rose to a slight squeak as she said "evil."

"Yes, that about sums it up."

Wesley opened the door to Lorne's office and ushered Lily in. As she stepped in, she noticed how different from Angel's office this one was. _Well, at least he __**attempts**__ to make things comfy. The giant vanity is a bit much I think._

The green demon in the lavender suit held up a hand as he finished a phone conversation.

"No, Ridley, really. We _**can**_ get you a unicorn. Yes, it will most certainly look much better than the one in Blade Runner. Ta, sweets." Lorne spun in his chair to face Wesley and Lily.

"So Wesley, is this little thing our new addendum?" he asked giving Lily the once over.

The small talk was quite small and with the pleasantries over rather quickly, Wesley excused himself. He promised to return for Lily in half an hour. He needed to get some papers together for her first major translation. Lorne ushered her into a chair and tried to get her to relax. Angel and Wesley both had spoken to him about the newest addition to W&H. Angel seemed interested in making her an extension of the original fab five. That was **if**__she checked out. Lorne let his eyes move over her as they made small talk. She was pretty in a controlled sort of way he decided. In fact, he'd place a decent bet that what lay beneath the surface was not as placid as the subdued tones of her eyes and clothes would have others believe. _No time like the present. Let's see what you're hiding under there._

"Well, we should probably get started then. This process won't hurt a bit. Just think of a song you enjoy and belt it out, darlin'. Don't worry about being any good. Sincerity in this audition is what's important, not vocal stylings."

Lily nodded and decided that she absolutely hated the idea of singing. She got up, went to the window, and looked out at the rain. She tried to think of a happy song, but couldn't. With a sigh, she turned back to Lorne and began to sing. At first, the voice was small and uncertain. And then Lily's nerves got the better of her, and she began to draw on her skills as a mimic. What came next stunned Lorne.

Lily closed her eyes and tried to remember when she first heard the song that held her name. An image of a strong woman flashed in her mind with a voice made rough from cigarettes and long life. It was her voice that came from Lily's throat, a voice filled with longing and promise.

She sang:

Underneath the lantern,  
By the barrack gate  
Darling I remember

The way you used to wait  
T'was there that you whispered tenderly,  
That you loved me,  
You'd always be,  
My Lilly of the Lamplight,  
My own Lilly Marlene

Lorne watched enraptured by the sound of the voice as it lovingly poured forth the old tune. For a moment, he forgot to check the aura that had begun to glow around her as she sang. As she continued, he stretched out his senses to take in her aura and smiled. He had been right. While her external appearance was one of control, the young woman's aura was vibrant and shifting. More to the point, it was quite solidly good. He really didn't need to hear her sing anymore, but her performance was so haunting he decided to wait for her to finish.

Angel heard the sound of someone singing as he returned to his office from a meeting with Fred in the research lab. The tune seemed familiar to him, but he couldn't quite place it. He moved to the door of Lorne's office and silently pushed it open. He paused as he saw Lily pouring out her heart in front of the windows streaked with rain. _She's amazing. I wonder if she knows that._

Lily still had her eyes closed and drew one final breath for the last chorus. She could hear the rain pattering on the pane behind her. It was soothing, and the last verse was in her own voice, which, while not as powerful as that of her memory, still bore a sweetness and intensity that moved:

Resting in our billets,  
Just behind the lines  
Even tho' we're parted,  
Your lips are close to mine  
You wait where that lantern softly gleams,  
Your sweet face seems  
To haunt my dreams  
My Lilly of the Lamplight,  
My own Lilly Marlene.

She drew in one last deep breath before she opened her eyes. As she looked up, she was surprised to see Angel standing behind Lorne with a faraway look in his eyes. He smiled at her and applauded quietly. She blushed as he silently slipped back out of the office. _Most people don't recognize that tune. I wonder if it reminds him of someone. _She wasn't able to ponder Angel's response further as her attention was drawn back to the green demon before her as he rose from the couch and embraced her.

"Cupcake, that was," Lorne gestured emphatically unable to come up with words.

"Umm, does that mean I passed?" Lily asked hesitatingly.

"Definitely," Lorne said with a grin.


	4. Chapter Four Settling In

Chapter Four – Settling In

Disclaimer:  All _Angel_ and _Buffy _properties belong to Joss Whedon and his associates.  No infringement upon their rights is intended.  This story is based loosely on the current season (5) of _Angel._  Set some time after Spike gets his body back.  No spoilers if you're following the series.  This story will branch and cross the timeline set up there from time to time.  Never been one to follow canon.  Thanks again for the encouraging reviews.  I hope the story continues to be of interest. Italics indicate thoughts, and bold indicates emphasis.

Rating: PG-13; mostly language and innuendo.  

            Lorne accompanied Lily back to Wesley's office after her "audition."  His animated questions about her ability to mimic amused her, but her heart wasn't really in answering.  She kept thinking back to Angel's expression after she had finished.  She sighed.  _Wouldn't you know once I finally get a handsome rogue to look at me it's because I'm channeling Dietrich.  _

            Lorne turned at the rather plaintive sigh that came from his companion.  Obviously her mind was elsewhere, and if he wasn't mistaken, that was the sigh of the lovelorn.  _Now who could have caught your eye around here, cupcake?  _Lorne smiled as they stopped in front of Wesley's office.  He noticed his assistant Philip coming down the hall with three cell phones and several faxes.

            "Gotta dash, sweets.  Let me know about the voice-over idea," he said as he gave her shoulders a friendly squeeze.  And with a flourish, he was gone.

            Lily blinked trying to process what Lorne had just said when Wesley opened the door.  

            "Oh, good; you're back.  Things went well then?"  Wesley tried not to look too hopeful, but he rather liked Lily, and he certainly could use the help she seemed capable of providing.

            "Passed with flying colors," she said as she flopped into a chair.  "So what's on tap for today, boss man?"

            Wesley outlined the plan, which included numerous forms and a blood test.  After several hours of filling out forms for the city, state, and federal governments not to mention the loyalty forms for W&H, Lily's hands and back were killing her.  She stood to try to stretch out a particularly tight knot in the middle of her back.  Just as she managed to pull herself as taut as possible, Wesley walked back in the room and was greeted with sight of Lily's flat stomach.  He coughed and her eyes, which had been closed, flew open.  She blushed as she felt cool air on her stomach and realized that she had overextended herself and her blouse had come untucked.  She quickly tried to make herself presentable.  

            "Umm, sorry about that.  Guess I'd been sitting for too long."  

            "It's quite all right.  I was just about to leave for lunch.  Would you care to join me?"

            "That would be lovely.  Let me freshen up a bit, and I'll follow you anywhere."

            Lily went in search of a bathroom leaving Wesley to ponder her last comment.  _Surely she didn't mean what I think she meant.  _Wesley flushed as he realized where his brain was leading him as he pondered the image of Lily's fully extended frame.  

            "Ready?" Lily asked as she touched Wesley lightly on the shoulder.

            "Yes.  Shall we?" Wesley extended an arm to the woman beside him.  She tentatively looped her own around it.  

Lunch was a pleasant affair.  The two talked shop for some time and then began to share more personal stories.  Lily told him about her trips through Europe and Asia.  She mentioned how much she'd wanted to see Africa but had never gotten the opportunity.  Wesley told her about studying at Oxford and his time in LA.  After the waiter brought the checks (Lily had insisted on going Dutch), conversation returned to work.  They decided to walk the short distance back to the office.

            "Wes, who do I need to speak to about getting some furniture for the vault?  I think the desk that's down there might collapse, and I'm really going to need a more comfortable chair."

            Wesley's brow furrowed for a moment.  "You know, I have absolutely no idea.  We picked out which office we wanted, and the next day it was furnished.  I suppose we could ask Harmony."

            "The blonde that Angel seems so thrilled to have around?  She doesn't seem to be …" Lily let her voice trail off.  She didn't want to assume anything, but Harmony hadn't really made a stellar impression.  

            Wesley smiled, "Yes, well, Harmony does come across as a bit vacuous I admit.  But she has been with the firm for some time, so I expect that she would know most of the in's and out's."

            They'd reached the elevators by this time when Wesley suddenly remembered one of the more unpleasant parts of one's induction into the Wolfram and Hart "family," the blood test.  Actually they didn't really do much testing; the blood was a formality.  It was used to bind the reluctant or to sign particularly important contracts.  He looked at the woman next to him and decided he should probably tell her about what the tests entailed before hand.  

            Lily turned to look at Wesley who seemed to be watching her with some interest.

            "Is something wrong, Wes?"

            "Oh no, not really," he cleared his throat as the elevator doors opened.  He pushed the button for the science department.  Lily raised an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side.  "We need for you to get the blood work done."

            "Right," Lily blanched.  She really hated needles.  "Good thing I ate a healthy lunch then, huh?"

            "I feel I should warn you," Wesley began as the elevator chimed its way through the floors, "the blood test requires at least two vials.  With the first vial, they do a standard test for drugs and the like.  The second vial is for insurance purposes."

            Lily turned to him with a bewildered expression on her face.  "Insurance?"

            "Loyalty oaths," Wesley managed to say before they reached their floor.

            He gestured for Lily to follow him to the rather sterile looking lab and stifled a groan as they bumped into Knox.

            Knox looked at Wesley and smirked, "I'll just go get Fred."

            Knox wandered into Fred's office.  Lily watched Wesley for a moment before turning her attention to the young woman approaching her.  _That's a Fred?  Oh-kay.  And why is Wesley clenching his jaw?  _Lily decided that she was quite thoroughly confused until she saw Knox lean in and give Fred a brief kiss before returning to his work.  She felt Wesley stiffen next to her and barely heard him say that he would meet up with her later.  Lily had had enough male friends in her life to know what that reaction meant.  Wesley was jealous. 

            "Okey-dokey.  Let's see, Lily, right?  Could you follow me?  You're going to help Wesley with the vault?"

            _Good Lord.  I don't think I've met anyone this perky. _ "That's the plan," Lily replied, "And with whatever else I might be useful with."

Fred motioned for Lily to take a seat and began getting the needles and vials ready.  Lily swallowed hard.  

            Fred turned back to her and smiled, "I hate this part too, but it'll be over soon.  Promise.  It's a good thing you'll be helping Wesley.  He works too hard."  A worried frown crossed her face briefly before she returned to chattering happily at Lily about Wolfram and Hart and working for Angel.

            _Hmm.  Okay, she's not heartless.  She seems to be generally concerned about Wesley's well being.  I still can't imagine how anyone in charge of all this would be quite so clueless.  _

            Knox tapped on the door to Fred's office as she finished filling the second vial.  He seemed disappointed to see only Lily.

            "Yes?" Fred asked.

            "Nothing, just checking if everything was okay in here.  Thought Wesley might be giving you a hard time again about having to run these tests."  He slipped back out of the office to his workstation.

            Lily rubbed the spot where the needle had been seconds before.  _What the heck was that about?  Wesley doesn't seem to be the type to harp on an issue.  _

            "Thanks for the conversation, Fred.  It certainly made the process less painful," Lily gave a weak smile.  Her stomach felt a bit queasy. "It was nice to meet you."

            "You too."  Fred gave a small wave as she began to label the vials, "Take care of Wesley."

            "Will do."  _Definitely clueless.  _Lily sighed.  _Poor Wesley.  _She walked passed Knox's station, and without thinking, she bumped his arm as she passed, causing him to spill something all over the front of his pristine white lab coat.  

            "Damn!"

            "Ooops.  Sorry.  Guess I must be a little dizzy from the blood loss," Lily blushed as she realized what she'd done.  She quickly left the lab and got on the elevator.  

Minutes later, she was in Wesley's office.  The mad dash had left her light-headed, and all she really wanted to do was rest.  She idly wondered if she was anemic.

            "Lily, are you sure you are quite well?"  Wesley placed a hand on her shoulder in concern.  

            Lily shook her head and then grabbed it as the room began to spin.  "Um, no?"

            "Let's go to the break room and see if we can't get you something for that lightheadedness."

            The phone chose that moment to ring, and Lily winced at the noise.  Wesley looked at the phone and then at her.  Sighing, he picked up the phone and asked whoever was on the other end to wait.  

            "Why don't you go on down and get yourself something?  If you're not feeling any better, go ahead and call it a day.  I won't have you collapsing in the vault on your first day."

            Smiling, Lily asked, "So on my second or third day, it'll be okay?"

            "No, of course not," Wesley stopped as he noticed the twinkle in her eye, "Well perhaps…"

            She laughed as she left the office and headed to the break room.  She stopped halfway through the foyer and realized she had no idea where she was going.  She didn't want to interrupt Wesley, so she wandered over to Harmony's desk.

            "Excuse me, Harmony?"

            "Yep," Harmony stopped filing her nails long enough to see who was speaking to her.

            "Which way is the break room?"

            Harmony perked up at the mention of a break, "Hey great; I could use some 'me' time.  Break room's down this way," she gestured as she swished her way down the hall.

            She led Lily to a tastefully decorated room off the main corridor replete with cappuccino and espresso machines, a microwave, and two refrigerators.  A sofa and chairs were arranged at one end of the room, and a small dinette set was at the other.  Harmony wandered over to the closer of the two refrigerators and pulled out a bag and began to fill a mug that she had taken from the cabinet above with the contents. 

Lily took a moment to get her bearings.  _Cozy_.  _I wonder why they have two refrigerators._  Her head began to throb again, and she held a hand out to steady herself.  Instead of grabbing the door as she thought she would, Lily felt her hand tighten around a cool wrist.  Quickly, she pulled away.  Unfortunately, the sudden movement intensified her dizziness, and she began to fall.

            "Easy there, pet.  No need to swoon on my account."  Spike smirked as he caught Lily and eased her down onto the couch.  "Though I often have that effect."

            "Spike-y!" Harmony squeaked as she turned from the microwave.

            From her position on the couch, Lily looked at the two blondes in front of her.  _Spike-y?_  She glanced to see the man in question's response to that term of endearment and had to stifle a giggle.  He looked as though he had eaten something particularly rotten at some point, and the taste just kept revisiting him.  Harmony, on the other hand, was looking at Spike with a mixture of hope and love.  Lily's laugh turned into a groan.  _I'm not working in a law firm; it's a Mexican soap opera with demons._  The sound of Lily's groan caught their attention, and the two turned to see the young woman blanch and hold a hand to her head.

            "You okay?" Harmony asked.

            "Course she isn't, you twit.  Wouldn't be holdin' her head like that if she was, would she?  What's the matter?" Spike addressed this last to Lily.  

            Harmony turned back to the microwave to watch the mug spin with a pout.  Lily rubbed her temples in an effort to stop the pounding and the spinning.  "Could I get a glass of juice?  I'm not used to giving quite so much blood all at once."

            Spike paused for a moment before responding, surreptitiously checking her neck.  No marks.  "So who you letting have a bit of nip then?"  He went to the other refrigerator, pulled out a carton of orange juice, and poured Lily a tall glass.

            "Huh?  Oh, Fred," she said as she took the glass he offered her.  

Spike barked out what might have been a laugh.  Lily quietly sipped at her juice.  Slowly, the world began to come into sharper focus.  She watched Harmony pull a mug from the microwave and take a tentative sip.

"Oh, you had to do that blood test thingee, didn't ya?" she asked between sips.  

Lily nodded.  She wondered idly why Harmony had a red moustache as she drank.  

"How come one vial made you all dizzy and stuff?" Harmony continued.

            "I had to do two.  Didn't you?"

            "They don't need to check us for diseases the way they do with the living, pet," Spike turned to Harmony and in his most charming voice asked, "Got anymore of that special blend of yours, Harm?"

            Harmony smiled broadly, "You betcha."  She leaned into him, brushing her body across his as she reached into the fridge for another packet.  She began to prepare a mug for him to match her own.

            Lily closed her eyes.  _Oh puh-lease.  Don't start making out in front of me.  Wait a minute; did he say "living"?  What's the alternative?_

"Spike, did you say 'living'?" she managed to ask as she opened her eyes.

            "Course I did, pet.  Vamps don't generally carry any communicable diseases."  As he said "vamps," he easily slipped into game face while taking his mug from Harmony.  

            To her credit, Lily didn't scream.  Nor did she run.  She simply set down her glass and looked intently at Spike as she tried to figure out why he suddenly had fangs and yellow eyes.  _Okay.  This should be completely freaky, and yet it isn't.  Why?  He's a vampire, which I suppose means Harmony is too.  Oh, and Angel right?  Giles mentioned that Angel was a vampire with a soul.  That last thought doesn't make **any** sense.  Best leave that for later.  So, why am I not wigging?  Granted after the Hsi-hsue-kuei* that Giles managed to summon, Spike as a vampire seems kind of tame.  Still I'm not wearing a cross or anything. . ._ Spike's voice interrupted her train of thought.

            "You all right, pet?  Give ya a bit of a turn, did I?"  _I'm surprised she didn't bolt when I went into vamp mode.  Girl's got moxie I'll give her that._

            "Will you **please** not call me that?  It makes me feel like someone's wayward cocker spaniel," she said through clenched teeth.  Spike's face broadened in amusement as Lily took a deep breath.  "Now, let me get this straight.  You, Harmony, and Angel are all vampires?"  

Spike nodded, allowing his features to revert to their human form.

Lily giggled, "Well, why not?  I was always told that lawyers were just bloodsuckers with good tailors.  I'm sorry; that was unkind.  Thank you for the juice, Spike."

"Not a problem, pe-, **luv**," He winked at her.  "Thanks for the cuppa, Harm," he added as he strode out of the room.

"Anytime, Blondie Bear."  Harmony turned her attention back to Lily.  "So, you're cool with the whole vampire thing?"

"Sure.  As long as I'm not on the menu, I've got no worries."  Her head was starting to feel moderately better.  She decided she would worry later about whether it was more dangerous to work with vampires and demons than the kinds of people she usually ended up working for.  "So, Harmony, do you have any plans for the rest of the day?  I could use some help with decorating the vault and finding a place to live."

            Harmony clapped her hands together.  Decorating was one of her favorite things to do, and Angel had mentioned that she should be sure to take care of Lily.  She came over to the couch and sat down.  She patted Lily on the leg and said in a conspiratorial tone, "I know where all the goodies are hiding."  

            Lily smiled and sipped more of her juice.  _This is going to be one helluva ride._

            Half an hour later, the two were still heavily engrossed in discussions of fabric and styles when Wesley found them.  When he heard something about fine Corinthian leather, he decided he would let the two ladies continue their work.  From what he could see, Lily was settling in just fine. 

* The Hsi-hsue-kueiis a Chinese demon that sucks blood.  


	5. Chapter Five Of Prophecies and Resoluti...

Chapter Five – Of Prophecies and Resolutions

Disclaimer:  All _Angel_ and _Buffy _properties belong to Joss Whedon and his associates.  No infringement upon their rights is intended.  Okay, I'm officially deviating **wildly** from current continuity.  I may insert little details from the current season (5) of _Angel_, but I think it's safe to say this is alternate universe from here on.  "Love You Didn't Do Right By Me" was written by Irving Berlin for _White Christmas.  _"Unbound" is by Robbie Robertson from the _CSI: Soundtrack.  _Thanks again for the encouraging reviews.  I hope the story continues to be of interest.  Please let me know if you're still enjoying this.  J Italics indicate thoughts, and bold indicates emphasis.

Rating: PG-13; mostly language and innuendo.  

Lily had been with the firm for four months and had managed to settle into a comfortable routine.  Harmony had helped her furnish her office and find a decent apartment.  The luxuries of working for Wolfram and Hart were many, as Lily quickly discovered.  The firm owned an apartment building and rented spacious flats to employees at a "discount."  Lily entertained the thought that she was selling her soul to the company store when she signed the lease, but since there was no blood involved, she felt relatively safe.  

She was surprised to find that her life at W&H was pretty sedate.  She came in in the mornings, headed for the basement, and worked until her stomach growled or her vision blurred, whichever came first.  On Fridays, she would meet with Wesley and Angel to report on what she'd discovered.  It had taken her nearly a month to get the books arranged into a logical order.  As far as she could tell, the little treasure trove that was the vault had been left untouched for the last fifty years.  The tomes themselves thrilled her because they were so varied and complex.  Codexes, prophecies, spell compendia, and journals were all there for the deciphering.  

After her meetings, she would hang out with Harmony in the break room, and they'd discuss their plans for the evening.  Lily wasn't sure when they'd become friends, but she was genuinely fond of Harmony.  Admittedly, Harmony wasn't the sharpest crayon in the box of sixty-four, but she had passion.  Nothing and no one deterred her from a goal, as long as that goal didn't involve too much effort.  She also had a healthy sense of self-preservation, which Lily often found amusing.  When she was in trouble, Harmony could rearrange the truth faster than anyone Lily had ever known.  One Friday, their afternoon discussion centered on the upcoming New Year's party and Lily's lack of a date.

 "Lil, you've just **_gotta _**go with someone.  Otherwise, you'll get stuck playing nicey-nicey with some really gross demon like at Halloween."

"Don't remind me," Lily grimaced, "I think I still have the bruises from all that pinching."

"Okey.  Then let's set you up with someone.  What about Alec in accounting?"

"You're kidding, right?  He's got _tentacles_, Harmony.  We're trying to move away from the pinch fest, 'member?"

"Yeah, right."  Harmony began to play with her nails.  Absently, she went to the fridge, retrieved a bottle of blood, took a mug from the cupboard, and began to warm it.  Lily grinned.  _She must really be in "think mode."  She always has to have . . .What does Spike call it? Oh right, a "cuppa" when she thinks._

"Harmonics dear, have you seen Lily?  Oh, there you are, sugar.  I need to talk to you about the New Year's Bash," Lorne sat down in the spot recently vacated by Harmony on the sofa.  

 Lily narrowed her grey eyes and looked at Lorne suspiciously.  _Whatever he wants me to do I'm pretty sure I'm going to hate it.    _

"Okay, Lorne.  You can dispense with the pleading look.  I know I'm going to hate whatever it is you've got planned for me, but I'll do it," Lily said with a sigh.

"Why, cupcake, would I ever ask you to do anything painful?  I just thought with those lovely pipes of yours you might be the floorshow for the first part of the evening.  You know, do the torch singer bit for about an hour to warm folks up."

"That doesn't sound good to me, Lorne.  Remember the last time we had fire at one of the parties?"  Harmony noted.  "The sprinklers came on, and we all ended up looking like drowned rats." 

"Not that kind of torch, Harm.  Torch singers were and are women jazz singers who specialize in songs about the broken-hearted," Lily explained.  She chewed her lip for a moment, pondering the wisdom of Lorne's idea.  Lately, she'd only be able to mimic when she was frightened or really nervous.  _Of course, if I'm performing for the entire W&H staff and selected clientele, I'll probably **be** nervous.  _She shrugged.  She supposed it could work.  "What do you have in mind, Lorne?"

The next thirty minutes were spent in deep discussion regarding what songs to sing and whom she should mimic.  Lily convinced Lorne that they should choose a single singer because she wasn't sure how well she could shift between voice styles.  They finally had decided on Rosemary Clooney when Lorne's hip began to play "Livin' La Vida Loca."  _Okay, so technically Rosemary Clooney isn't a torch singer, but at least I think I can belt out her tunes consistently_.  

Out popped the cell and with a wave Lorne was gone, leaving Lily alone in the break room; Harmony had wandered back to her desk when it seemed clear they weren't going to let her pick a singer.  _Not that she had known any._  Lily stood up and stretched, feeling the muscles in her back protest as she tried to unknot them.

"You know, you really should try investing in longer blouses," said Wesley as he came into the room.

Lily blushed as she realized she was flashing her boss again.  She let out a small giggle.

"What?  You object to seeing my flat tummy and adorable belly button at least once a week?" she asked with a smirk.

"Not in the slightest."  The humor quickly drained from Wesley's voice.  "But, unfortunately, I didn't come in here for the view.  Angel has a problem for you."  He motioned for her to follow him.

            Angel sat at his desk staring at the pile of papers in front of him.  He wondered how to explain what he needed Lily to do without telling her about the Hellmouth in Cleveland.  He sighed deciding he couldn't lie to her, but maybe an omission or two **was** called for. 

            "So what's the pow-wow all about?"

            Angel groaned.  He didn't need Spike to be here.  The last thing he needed was Spike running off half-cocked to help Buffy.  

            "Go away, Spike.  Doesn't Gunn have something for you to pound?"

            "Na.  'Sides, heard you send Percy out for Lil.  Wondered what the two of you **do** with the chit in here.  Thought perhaps she might like to be locked in a room with a **real**man for a change," he sneered.

            Lily and Wesley entered on Spike's last comment.  

            "Oh, did Lorne get my note that I wanted Tom Jones for my birthday?" Lily clapped her hands together and bounced on her toes.  "I mean, it's early, but I'll take what I can get now," she said licking her lips, barely suppressing a giggle.

            Wesley laughed outright, Angel smirked, and Spike looked like he'd been slapped with a wet fish.  

            "Bloody Welshman's too hairy by half," he muttered as he stalked out of the room.

            "What?  I was kidding," Lily called after him, looking chagrined.  

            "It's all right, Lily."  Angel motioned for her to sit.  "You just wounded his pride a little.  Trust me; it'll bounce back."

            Lily blushed and nodded.  "What did you need to see me about?"

            "I received this in the mail today from," Angel paused slightly, "some friends." He handed Lily the papers he'd been looking at earlier.  "They believe it's a prophecy of some kind but can't make heads or tails of it."

            Lily took the topmost sheet from Angel and examined the symbols upon it.  She ran her fingers over the text.

            "This is odd.  I can understand why your friends were having problems.  It looks like someone's recycled this parchment.  There's ghost text here.  It's creating a doubling effect making it difficult to read the topmost layer.  Did your friends say when the prophecy was supposed to have been written?  It might help me figure out which of the two texts I need to translate."

            "Wait a minute.  A ghost text?  How is that possible?"  Angel asked.

            "Actually such 'recycling' as Lily called it was quite common.  If I remember correctly, the procedure involved shaving the vellum to remove the top layer of text.  The problem with the procedure was that sometimes the ink from the new text would bleed into any remaining impressions left by the old," Wesley explained.

            Lily began sifting through the papers.  "Quite a collection of material you've got here, Angel.  There seem to be maps and, if I'm not mistaken, the schematics for some sort of device.  I can't make anything of it at the moment, but I think if I can get the prophecy translated, I might be able to get the rest fairly quickly."

            "Good.  I need it by New Year's Day."

            "You're kidding, right?" Lily asked.   Angel merely looked at her.  "You're not."  She sighed.  "Right, so, I'll just head to the lab and see if Fred can help me with finding out about this ghost text." 

With Fred's help, Lily was able to make a clear copy of both texts.  Unfortunately, Lily couldn't figure out what the glyphs on the second layer meant.  For three days, she worked diligently in the vault.  Then she moved into the conference room off of Angel's office, so that she could have more room to spread out her notes.  By day five, she was ready to pull out her hair.  She had been working 16-hour days since she had gotten the texts separated.  Her nerves were a jangle.

            Two days before the deadline, Angel returned to the office covered in the ash of what had been a rather large nest of vampires.  _I do so love getting my hands dirty.  _He paused in front of his office suite and listened.  Thunk, thunk, thunk.  He opened the door to the conference room to find Lily knocking her head against the oak table and mumbling.  

            "I can't do it; I can't do it.  Oh God, what will happen if I can't get this?"

            "Lily," Angel placed a hand on the young woman's shoulders.  Her hair hung limply around her face, and her eyes were red and swollen.  _How long has she been here?  She looks like hell.  _  

            Lily turned to look at him and stifled a sob.  "Angel.  I'm so sorry.  I thought everyone had left for the day."  

            "Spike and I just got back.  Shouldn't you be home?"  His eyes traveled over the mass of papers she had strewn around the room.  He picked up a piece at random; it was the copy of the top layer of the original text.

            "Can't.  I've got to figure this thing out.  Deadline you know," she smiled weakly and ran her hand through her hair.

            Angel looked at the text in front of him.  "Too bad these prophecies don't come with instructions."

            Lily looked up at him, "What did you just say?"

            "I said, 'too bad –" Lily's squeal of what he assumed was delight interrupted him as she flung herself at him.  Her arms wrapped around his waist, and she began to jump up and down.  Angel was stunned and a little worried.

            "You are the most brilliant man I have ever met," she said as she placed a kiss on his cheek, "And I am such an idiot." As she pulled away from him, she took the piece of paper he held with her.  "The top layer provides the instructions for how to translate the glyphs of the second.  I should have remembered my Poe.  Always hide things in plain sight."

            "Did I miss something?" 

            "Hmm?  No.  Just when you said something about instructions, it made me think about that top layer of text.  We had dated both texts as coming from the same period; I just didn't think they would have anything to do with one another.  Thought it was just another red herring.  But, it's **not**."  Lily pulled out a fresh sheet of paper and rapidly began scribbling a translation.  A giggle escaped her lips as she did so.

            Angel walked over to her and took the pen from her hand and spun the chair she was in around. 

            "Go home," he told her very quietly, but firmly.

            "But I'm so close.  In a couple of hours, I should know how to crack this thing."

            "Lily, when was the last time you slept?"

            "Slept?'

            "Yes, slept.  You remember that thing mortals do to replenish their energy.  You should try it some time.  In fact, I think you should be trying it right now." He pulled her out of the chair.  He grabbed her purse and her jacket as they went out of the conference room. "I'm taking you home."

            "But…" Lily started to protest but stopped when she saw the rather determined look on Angel's face.  "Yes, sir.  I'll be a good girl and go to bed," she said quietly, sounding for all the world like a small child.  Angel gave a slight chuckle.  

It didn't take long to get his car and drive her home, but Lily had fallen asleep almost immediately.  Angel looked at her and smiled.  _She's such a pretty little thing.  She looks so fragile.  _He scooped her out of the seat and fished her keys out of her jacket pocket.  At one point in the elevator, he thought she might wake up, but instead she gave a little moan and nuzzled her head into his shoulder.  He managed to carry her up to her door and open it without waking her.  He started to take her inside when he realized he had never been to her apartment before.  She would have to invite him in.

            He bent his head down slightly and whispered her name into her ear.  Lily slowly opened her eyes and tried to focus on who was speaking to her.

            "You need to invite me in Lily, so I can put you to bed." 

            "Okay, Angel.  Please come in and take me to bed," she mumbled sleepily and closed her eyes again.

            Angel looked down at her in surprise.  _That was an interesting slip.  _He shook his head.  _She's a sweet girl.  I hope she can stay that way._  He laid Lily on her bed and pulled a quilt over her.  She moved under the covers and whimpered in her sleep.  He reached down to touch her face and softly brushed away a stray hair.  She leaned in to his touch, and the whimpering stopped.  He stroked her hair silently for a while, and then he quietly left the apartment, locking the door behind him. 

            Lily woke up the next day and panicked.  She had no idea how she had gotten home or why she was asleep in her clothes.  She glanced at her clock; it read 1:00.  As near as she could tell, she had slept for 12 hours.  She gave a yelp and ran to take a shower.   She was about to head out when she realized that it would take most of what remained of the day to finish the translations, and she wouldn't have time to change for the party.   With a muttered curse, she grabbed a garment bag from one closet and put her gown, shoes, and other essentials into it.  She'd clean up in the lab later if need be.

            Just as she had predicted, the translation took no time at all.  Angel came in to check on her from time to time, leaving the folding doors between his office and the conference room open.  As Lily was typing in the last of the translation, the door to Angel's office opened, and she heard a woman's voice call his name.  Lily hit save and gathered all of her notes and the copies together.  She paused in the doorway.  In front of her stood Angel with his arms around a petite blonde woman.  They were quietly talking and seemed quite absorbed in one another.  _She's so beautiful.  And Angel looks absolutely captivated by her.  _

            "You can come in, Lily," Angel's voice interrupted her thoughts.

            Blushing, Lily came in clutching the disk and papers close to her chest.  The young woman pulled away from Angel and turned to face Lily.  Her hazel eyes seemed to be sizing Lily up, assessing whether she was a threat or not.  Lily blushed more deeply.  She held her burden out to Angel.

            "I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's done.  There's a hard copy of everything in long hand, and the typed version is on the disk.  I hope it's enough."

            "I'm sure it will be fine," Angel said as he gave Lily a small smile.  He turned to the room's other occupant as he placed the materials in a large envelope.  "This belongs to you, Buffy," he continued and handed her the packet.  "You and Giles should be able to handle things from here, right?"

            She nodded and looked back to Lily.  "Thanks.  Giles said you'd be able to figure this out.  He said you were the best."

            Lily's eyes widened at that compliment.  "Well, at least **something **about me left an impression on Ripper," she said with a hint of regret.  "Take good care of him," she added quietly.

            "Can do," Buffy replied slightly puzzled.  

            "I should go get ready for the floor show.  You are making an appearance, right Angel?  Lorne wanted me to remind you."

            "We'll be out in a little while, Lily.  Break a leg."

            "I'll be lucky if that's all I do," she said as she left.

            Two and a half hours later, Lily was finishing up her set.  Spike sat at a table at the far end of the hall watching her and drinking pint after pint of Newcastle trying not to brood.  _Brooding's Cap'n Forehead's gig, not mine.  _Yet if ever he felt like brooding, it was now.  She'd come back.  It didn't matter that they had resolved their issues on her last visit or that he had told himself he was over her; it still hurt that when she was in trouble she turned to Angel and not him.  _Everyone I've ever wanted he's had first.  Just once I want someone who's mine alone._  

He drained the last of the ale and looked back at the stage.  Lily stood at its center wearing a long, black gown that flowed smoothly over her gentle curves.  Peeking out from the edge of the skirt just above the tops of her feet was a splash of silk the color of claret.  Spike smiled as his eyes traveled over her, noting that the dress had no straps or sleeves of any kind, revealing a lovely neck and smooth white shoulders.  _She is a pretty little thing.  _

            Lily's body swayed gently as she moved towards the microphone to begin her last number, and Spike lost his train of thought.  He wondered if she felt the pain of the song herself or if she was simply mimicking.  Her voice began as the softest of whispers as she sang:

                        Love, you didn't do right by me…

                        You planned a romance that just hadn't a chance and I'm through

                        Love, you didn't do right by me…

                        I'm back on the shelf and I'm blaming myself, but it's you.

            _'Cor pet.  You don't pull any punches do you? _

Her voice gained strength as the lament continued:

            My one love affair didn't get anywhere …from the start.

                        To send me a Joe who had winter and snow in his heart…wasn't smart

                        Ohhh, Love…

                        You didn't do right by me.

                        As they say in the song

                        You done me wro-ong. . .

                        Yes, Mr. Love

                        You done me wrong!

            The assembled employees and clients applauded as Lily let the final notes of the song fade.  She smiled slightly and bowed, quickly removing herself from the stage.  Lorne announced that the party was officially on as a DJ began to play popular dance numbers.  Lily looked around the room trying to find a table; she wanted desperately to find a place to sit and have something to drink.  As she searched the room, she locked gazes with Spike who raised his now refilled pint glass to her in salute.  She smiled.  _I wonder if he would mind some company_.  Lily made her way to his table.  She was glad Lorne had decided to put tables around the perimeter of the room for those who didn't want to dance all night.  _Between_ _the ordeal of being the floorshow and my work this past week, I'll be lucky to make it to the New Year._  _Sitting certainly seems like a lovely idea._   

            "Mind if I join you?"

            "Not at all, pet.  Nice pipes you've got."

            Lily slid into the chair next to him and smiled ruefully.  "Thanks, but they're not really mine you know.  I might as well be lip synching for all the talent it takes for me to do what I do."  A bitter edge colored the last comment.

            Spike looked at her carefully before replying, "Wouldn't be so sure of that, luv.  Seems you felt that last song deeply enough."

            "You have **no** idea."  Lily slipped off her shoes and rolled her shoulders.  She needed a drink.  _Water first and then something more potent._  She slid off the chair, her silk skirts rustling beneath her.  "Can I get you anything while I'm up?"

            Spike smirked, "Depends.  You plannin' on sittin' here tonight?"

            "I suppose so.  If you don't mind."

            "Then I've got what I want." Spike raised his glass.  Lily nodded.  She wasn't sure, but she thought he just implied that he wanted **her**.  She shook her head.  _Must be really tired.  That can't possibly be what he meant._

            Lily returned with two glasses, one with water and one with red wine.  Balanced on top of the glasses were two plates.  She came to an abrupt halt when she saw that Buffy and Angel had joined Spike.  Buffy sat to his left in what had been Lily's chair, and Angel was on his right.  She noticed a rather pinched look on Spike's face as Buffy laughed at something Angel said.  She felt a brief pang as she saw him attempt a feeble smile in response to Buffy.  _Looks like I'm not the only one trying to heal old wounds._  She smiled sadly and returned to the table.

            Lily set the plate with bits of onion blossom and hot wings that had been balanced on the water glass in front of Spike.  She took a sip of water as she sat down.

            "What's this then?" he asked his eyebrows attempting to brush his hairline.

            "Oh, Lorne had asked everyone what he should have on the menu, and I suggested those, and there you are," she said her hands fluttering ineffectually in front of her.  She looked down at her own plate of fruit and cheese.  She felt rather foolish for some reason barely noticing Angel and Buffy moving off to mingle and dance.

            Spike kept watching her, waiting for an explanation.  _She remembers what munchies I like?  Why the bloody hell would she remember that?  _

            Lily moved back to her original seat, and she and Spike ate in silence for the next few moments.  Then, they chatted quietly about nothing at all.  Lily finished her water and looked at the glass of wine in front of her.  

            "Ya know, starin' at it won't get it down your throat, Lil."

            "I know," she said hesitantly, "Oh, this is ridiculous.  Spike, would you do me a favor?"

            "Depends on the favor," he leered.

            Ignoring the leer she continued, "The bartender was Mexican, and I ordered _sangria_.  And well, with all the otherworldly guests, I'm not sure I really got wine and not blood."

            Spike laughed, a genuine full-throated laugh.  Lily smiled; she still felt slightly silly, but it was nice to see him smile and watch some of the tension ease out of his body language.  

            "It's wine.  Smells too fruity to be anything but."

            "Thank heavens," she sighed as she took a sip, and began to feel her own tensions slowly begin to melt.  

            When Buffy and Angel returned, she and Spike were still pleasantly talking.  

"And so, there I was with these fools and their shipment of bloody awful American beer…" Spike's story trailed off as he saw Angel return.  

Conversation hit a lull for a while as the four tried to find some common ground.  Spike went to refill his pint and offered to get Lily another glass of wine.  He returned with both glasses just in time to hear Lorne announce:  

            "And now my lovelies, it's time for the last dance of the old year.  So grab your honey and get out here on the floor."

            Lily suppressed a groan as she watched all the couples flock to the dance floor.  The empty space she had been trying to numb with wine and good company began to ache.  She turned to Spike to tell him she planned to go home and to thank him for a nice evening when she felt his hand on her wrist.

            "Dance with me," he said as he pulled her onto the floor.  Surprised, but oddly pleased, she followed him.  Then her eyes followed his gaze.  Harmony was weaving her way rather determinedly through the couples towards him.  She stopped and looked disappointed as he led Lily to the floor.  

            Lily felt an odd twinge.  She was hesitant to hurt her friend and she was hurt herself that Spike would use her as an escape.

"Something wrong pet," Spike asked, his blue eyes searching her grey ones.  

She shook her head as the music began.  _I honestly don't care why his arms are around me.  _She wrapped her arms about his neck as he placed his hands lightly on her hips.  Lily felt the song pour over her. As they began to sway, her hands slid from behind his head and came to rest on his biceps.  She gently squeezed the tight muscles under the dark linen, slightly massaging them with her thumb.  She moved in closer and rested her head on his chest.  Spike stiffened slightly and then folded his arms around her, his left hand moving up to the middle of her back.  He heard her let out a gasp as his cold hand met her warm flesh.  He tried to pull back but stopped when he felt her press closer to him.

            "Don't," she whispered, "Feels nice."

            Neither spoke for the rest of the song.  Spike could feel her heart beating slowly and steadily; for a moment, he forgot why he brought her out to the dance floor and reveled in the feel of her.  As if through a fog, he heard the lyrics.  The voice was both harsh and mournful as it sang:

Like a moth to flame  
She leads me down  
Unbound  
  
No borders  
No fences  
Unbound  
 

            The final chords of the song were beginning to fade.  Lily and Spike still held one another moving to the echo of the song.  For a moment, Spike felt just that – unbound.  _Maybe I am free – free of the expectations of Drusilla, of the Slayer, of the Powers that Be, of everyone._  Startled slightly by the thought, he looked at the woman in his arms and wondered if it was the music alone that made him feel that way.  Lily raised her head and was surprised to see him watching her intently.  She gave him a hesitant smile.  _I don't believe it; the ache's gone.  There's just a sense of being free.  How did he do that?_

            "The song's stopped," she whispered.  Something seemed to shatter as the words left her lips.  _Damn.  I shouldn't have said anything._

            "Right," he said flatly and let his arms fall from around her.

            She inhaled slightly as he pulled away, feeling as though she'd been set adrift.  They walked back to the table silently, neither certain what had just happened on the dance floor.  Lily picked up her shoes and made to leave.

            "See you Monday then, pet?" he asked as he sipped his drink.

            "Maybe," she replied with a smile.


	6. Chapter Six Love in Vein

Chapter Six – Love In Vein

Disclaimer:  All _Angel_ and _Buffy _properties belong to Joss Whedon and his associates.  No infringement upon their rights is intended.  I've officially deviated from current continuity.  I may insert little details from the current season (5) of _Angel_, but this is alternate universe.  The quoted lines of poetry come from "Song ('Maid of Athens, ere we part')" by George Gordon, Lord Byron from the collection, _English Bards and Scottish Reviewers. _Italics indicate thoughts, and bold indicates emphasis.

Rating: PG-13; mostly language and innuendo.  

            The New Year was turning out rather like the old one for Lily.  Work was exciting, although fortunately not as exciting as the prophecy she had translated for the Slayer.  About the only out-of-the-ordinary event in Lily's life was Harmony's reawakened obsession with Spike.  When Lily came in the Monday after the New Year's party, Harmony cornered her to ask about the dance she and Spike had shared.    

            "Why you?"

            Lily cringed.  "I was convenient, Harm.  I doubt that Spike has thought about it since."  _More's the pity._

            "Right," Harmony replied; her tone was skeptical.  Lily knew it would take some time before she was convinced.  

            Over the next month, Lily was bombarded almost daily by Harmony's questions about Spike.  The vampire seemed convinced that if she tried hard enough Spike would want her again.  As she pointed out to Lily, it was she that Spike turned to once he got his body back.  Ordinarily, Harmony's demands on Lily's time wouldn't be a problem, but Lily was neck deep in translating the adoption rituals for the latest demon clan to become Wolfram and Hart clients.  Gunn and Wesley needed to get the ritual right, or there would be hell to pay.  Literally.

            One Friday near the end of the month, Harmony came into the vault to get Lily for another dish session on her progress in winning Spike back.  Things were not going well; Spike seemed determined to pay attention to anything in a skirt that wasn't her.  She found Lily quickly pulling her hair up and back and smoothing out an unusually long black skirt.  There were books and papers scattered all over Lily's desk.  Harmony idly began to turn the pages of one book. 

            Lily looked up to see her friend waiting expectantly and sighed.  

            "Oh, Harm.  I'm so sorry I can't do the girl-bonding thing this afternoon.  I've got a meeting with Gunn, Wes, and Angel.  More demon-y goodness for W&H you know," she smiled weakly.  "Maybe you can come by the apartment this weekend, and we'll rent chick flicks?"

            Harmony pouted.  _It's not fair.  She gets to play with all the good men, and I'm stuck outside listening.  She's only human!  _She flipped the pages angrily.

            "Harmony?" Lily asked cautiously.  _I do so hope she's not mad.  I don't need an annoyed vamp on my case right now._  "Be careful with that book.  It's a spell compendium that I haven't had a chance to look through yet.  Seems harmless enough, but you can never be too careful."

            Lily began gathering various papers together.  Harmony perked up at the mention of a spell book.  _A spell would get Spike's interest focused on me.  I just have to find the right one._

            "What kinda spells are in here?" Harmony asked as disinterestedly as she could.

            "Hmm," Lily said slightly distracted. "Oh, nothing really powerful."  She turned to look at the page Harmony had flipped to and scanned it.  "See, this one is some kind of transference spell.  It transfers someone's affections from one object to another.  You know, if you were in love with a guy who was in love with another girl, you could transfer his affections for her onto you."  Lily gave a little laugh.  "God, this is such a silly spell.  It even has convenient little blanks for you to put in the names."  She glanced at her watch and squeaked.  "I gotta run.  See you later."

            Lily was out of the door before Harmony could reply, and so she missed the sly smile that crept across the other woman's face as she picked up the leather bound volume and began muttering the spell.

            Lily sighed as she sat on the sofa in Angel's office.  _Figures.  I rush to get ready to meet a guy, or in this case three guys, and they're late.  Typical._

Angel strode into his office, brow furrowed in thought.  He stopped short when he saw Lily sitting on his couch.

            "Lily, is there something you need?" he asked as he went to his chair.  

            "You forgot?" Lily asked incredulously.  "Well, I suppose you do have a lot to worry about."  She grabbed a copy of her findings and went over to his desk.  She leaned over his shoulder placing the report in front of him.  She brushed against his arm as she straightened up.  "You might want to look this over before our three o'clock meeting.  I'll try to explain what I've learned as quickly as possible."  She gave Angel as small smile as she went back to her seat in the middle of the couch to wait for the others.  

            Angel looked at the pages in front of him and tried to focus.  He remembered that he had a three o'clock meeting with a new cabal, but beyond that he was lost.  Usually, Gunn and Wesley handled this sort of thing.   At that moment, Wesley came into the office followed by Gunn and Spike.  Gunn and Wesley each took chairs near Angel's desk.  Spike sauntered over to the couch and carelessly sat down at one end, draping an arm over the back.

            "Shall we get started then?" Wesley asked looking at Lily.

            Lily took a deep breath and leaned forward to pass out the notes to the other men.  She brushed Spike's knee as she grabbed the papers on the far end of the table.

            "Sorry," she said quietly.  Spike smiled at her slightly.  Turning her attention to the rest of the room, she said in a normal speaking voice, "I don't really have a whole lot to report.  Since I can't get a hold of a native speaker, what we're going on is iffy in some ways.  Near as I can tell from the written documents Gunn was able to find, this group may be related to Fyarl demons.  At least, they seemed to be related **linguistically**.  What you've got in front of you is a list of things **not **to say to them.  I think.  Based on what I can glean from the texts, they're patriarchal, which is why it's important for the four of you to be as butch as possible."  Lily began to chew her lip and looked to Wesley for help.  He gave her a brief smile before taking up the thread of the briefing.  

            "Yes, well.  What we believe will happen is that their leader will speak to you through a series of subordinates.  We think it would be wise for you to do the same.  They seem to divide themselves up according to area of expertise, and we should do likewise.  Gunn, of course, is law, while I am protocol." Wesley paused before continuing, "Lily will remain in the room with us as your, ahem, Girl Friday.  She looks unthreatening enough to go unnoticed, and with her ability, she should be able to discern any underhanded schemes should they begin to converse in their native tongue."

            Lily had begun to relax as Wesley detailed the plan they had come up with earlier.  She leaned back into middle of the couch and wiggled slightly attempting to get more comfortable.  Finally, she felt the couch mold itself to her back, and she stopped moving.  She didn't notice that she was now resting against Spike's chest and that his arm was draped lightly over her shoulders.  Angel's eyes narrowed as he watched the two on the couch. 

            "What about Spike?" Angel questioned in a tone that resembled a growl.

            _I was hoping he wasn't going to ask me that._  Wesley sighed.  "We thought it best to have him appear as security."

            "Absolutely not." Angel brought his fist down on his desk to punctuate his protest.  "Spike's mouth will cause more trouble than we can afford."

            Lily placed a hand on Spike's leg in an attempt to forestall whatever snarky comment he was prepared to make.  

            "Don't," she whispered as she leaned into him, "You'll only make him angrier, and we really need to be together on this."  

            As much to her surprise as his, what Spike responded with was **not **a comment about Angel's lack of sexual prowess.  Instead, his long fingers traced the curve of her throat as he recited:

            By that lip I long to taste;

            By that zone-encircl'd waist;

            By all the token-flowers that tell

            What words can never speak so well;

            By Love's alternate joy and woe, 

            His voice trailed off unexpectedly before the final line as Angel firmly held him by the throat, dangling the smaller "man" several inches off the ground.  

            "She's not yours to toy with, Spike," he growled.

            Lily's mind was reeling.  _Byron?  Spike can quote Byron?!?  And to me!  And Angel's offended?  What in the world is going on here?_

            Lily stood up and put a hand on Angel's right arm.  She tried to pull him away from Spike; Gunn and Wesley moved in to help her.  

            "Angel, let him go, please?" Lily asked, her voice barely a whisper.

            He looked down at her, and his grip on Spike loosened slightly.  Spike took the opportunity to bring his left hand up to grab Angel's wrist and yank it free from his throat.  Once separated, Gunn and Wesley moved between the two men to keep them apart.  Lily stood in the middle shaking slightly.

            "Would someone please explain what just happened?" she asked quietly.

            Angel moved away from Wesley and over to Lily.  He placed a hand upon her shoulder and gently massaged it.  Unconsciously, Lily leaned into him as he continued to caress her as he spoke.  "It'll be okay, Lily.  I won't let him hurt you."  He turned to glare at Spike, "Stay away from her.  She's mine."

            Spike lunged at Angel, knocking Gunn out his way.  "Like hell she is!"  

            Angel swept Lily behind him.  Spike's left cross missed Angel's face by inches.  As Spike moved forward in his follow-through, Angel latched onto the ever-present duster and pulled.  Spike was sent tumbling.  He narrowly missed Lily, who watched with horror as both Spike and Angel slipped into game face.  

            "Let's finish this, shall we, **Spike**?" Angel taunted.  As Spike rushed him again, Angel caught his extended arm and threw him through the glass window of his office and into the lobby.  

            "Spike!" Lily ran through the broken window.  She knelt next to him, ignoring the glass that dug into her knees.  His face was scratched, but he didn't seem to be harmed, just unconscious.

            Angel emerged from his office to inspect his handiwork and smiled.  He offered a hand to help Lily up.  "Don't worry about Spike.  He'll be fine.  He just needed reminding who's in charge, that's all."  He allowed his features to smooth back to normal as he gazed down at her.

            For a moment, Lily was puzzled by the change in his voice.  His tone was richer, smoother somehow, as if a great cat had been given the power of speech.  His voice echoed down to the base of her spine.  She felt herself flush under his steady gaze and shook her head slightly to clear it.  Looking up at Angel, she swatted the proffered hand away.  She stood up on her own and brushed the glass from her skirt.  

            "Just what in the world was that all about?" she asked.

            "I thought that it was obvious.  It was about you," Angel replied, his voice returning to its normal timbre.  He took a step closer to Lily.  "I don't trust him.  He'll seduce you and then leave you broken.  I won't let him do that."

            Lily felt her cheeks get hotter, if that were possible.  Whether from surprise or anger, she wasn't sure.

            "And exactly when did you become the protector of my virtue?" she asked through clenched teeth.

            "Now Lily, there's no need to get upset.  I just want to protect you."

            Lily glared at Angel.  _How dare he patronize me!_  

"I do not need, nor do I **want,** a man, and I use that term very loosely, to tell me whom I can take into my heart!" 

            "Lily, perhaps now is not the best time to deal with this," Wesley interrupted and pointed to the four demons standing in the lobby watching the interplay between Angel and Lily.

            Lily groaned.  What appeared to be the leader of the demons came forward and clasped Lily's forearm.  

            "Well done, mistress.  It is good to see that the males of this firm know their place.  Which of these speak for you?"  The demon spoke English quite well, punctuating each word with a sharp click of her teeth.

            Lily's eyes widened.  _Oh good Lord.  They think I'm in charge?  And they're matriarchal.  We are in so much trouble.  I've got to think fast._

"I-I believe there has been some misunderstanding," Lily stammered hoping her surprise wasn't too obvious.  "This is Angel." Lily reached for the vampire and pulled him forward.  "He's the head of the firm.  I am Lily, his" Lily paused uncertain that her position would make sense to the demon in front of her.  Before she could finish, the demon spoke. 

             "I am M'lugonis, leader of the clan," she extended her arm for Angel to clasp.  She turned her attention back to Lily and smiled.  "It is good to keep one's mates in their places."  

Lily blushed again.  _Maybe I should just paint my face red since that seems to be the shade it insists on being today.  _She gave a small sigh and tried desperately to think of something appropriate to say.  She heard a moan from behind her and turned to see Spike slowly stand up and make his way towards her. 

"The blonde is your alpha?" M'lugonis asked with a tilt of the head.

            "No, not exactly."

            "Ah, I see.  A challenge, then.  Most interesting.  You must let me know how things turn out, little one."  M'lugonis smiled revealing several rows of razor sharp teeth.

            Lily soon found herself flanked by vampires.  Gunn and Wesley moved towards the group, as did M'lugonis' followers.

            "Perhaps it'd be a good idea for us to continue our negotiations in my office," offered Gunn.

            "That's a wonderful idea!  Why don't you and Angel outline the plan for M'lugonis and her people, while Wesley and I work on clearing up that other matter," offered Lily with only a slight hitch in her voice.

            "That would be satisfactory," M'lugonis said.

            "What about Spike?" Angel asked, not leaving Lily's side.

            "I'll go where I bloody well want to go."

            "Yes, of course, but why don't you see about getting the glazier to fix the window you broke?" Wesley asked before Angel could reply.

            "That would be awfully helpful, Spike."  Lily added, "Please?"

            The blond vampire glared at Wesley and Angel collectively and then shrugged.  "Right, but only because **she **asked," he said as he stalked off.

            "Keep him away from her, Wes."  Angel then followed the others into Gunn's office.

            Twenty minutes later, Lily and Wesley were still in his office trying to figure out what had gone wrong.

            "So, we're agreed that this sudden outburst is the result of a spell," Wesley said for the fourth time.

            Lily sat across from him and sighed.

            "I'm going down to my office to see if any of the books there might help us find something."

            "Good idea.  I'll ready some items for a spell that might tell us who's been affected.  We need to know if this is more than a localized phenomenon."

            Lily nodded her agreement as she headed out the door.  Back in her office, she began to scan the shelves for spell compendia.  After a couple of fruitless minutes, she sat down at her desk.  She realized coming down here was pointless, as she hadn't the faintest clue what sort of spell was at work.  _How do you look for a spell when you're not sure what it does?  _Without conscious thought, she began to straighten up her desk.  She went over the events of the past hour in her head again.  _I hope Gunn's able to explain away our little melodrama.  I don't want them thinking I'm some sort of vamp tramp.  _Lily let out a small giggle.  _Great, I think I just created another entry for my rhyming slang, though it doesn't really resonate in the way Bristol cities does.  _She had sorted through most of the paperwork on her desk and looked to see if there were any books to re-shelve.   _Odd, I thought I'd left two books on my desk.  _ Lily began looking for the burgundy leather volume of spells that she had pulled earlier.  Something tickled at the back of her mind.  _My alpha, indeed.  I'm surprised Spike didn't take offense to that.  _She dropped the book she held, as the tickling in her head became a memory.  The last time she saw the book was when Harmony was flipping through it.   Lily ran for the elevators.  If what she suspected had happened, she needed to find Harmony before Spike or Angel did.          


	7. Chapter Seven Woman Wailing

Chapter Seven – Woman Wailing

Disclaimer:  All _Angel_ and _Buffy _properties belong to Joss Whedon and his associates.  No infringement upon their rights is intended.  I've officially deviated from current continuity.  I may insert little details from the current season (5) of _Angel_, but this is alternate universe.  Italics indicate thoughts, and bold indicates emphasis.  Thank you very much for the kind and encouraging reviews!  My apologies for the hiatus.

Rating: PG-13; mostly language and innuendo.  

            _Stupid elevators.  Why don't they ever work quickly enough?_  Lily stood in front of the elevator doors tapping her foot impatiently.  She pulled the skewers from her hair and began twirling a strand around her finger.  _If Harmony's done what I think she has, we are in **so** much trouble.  How the heck did she get a spell to work, anyway?_

            DING!

            Lily quickly stepped into the elevator and punched the number for the appropriate floor.  _I've gotta try to calm down.  Yelling isn't going to help the situation._

            Spike paced as the glazier replaced the pane in Angel's office.  _Wonder where Lily's gone off to?  Must still be with Percy. At least she isn't with Angel.  _He snarled as he recalled the way Angel had possessively put his arms around Lily after Spike had spoken to her.  He stopped pacing for a moment and tried to assess what he was feeling.  _Why exactly do I care?  Sure, she's a bit of all right, but no more so than any of the other chits about the office.  Last time I felt this possessive was when Red cast that spell, and Buffy and I were engaged…Bloody hell!_

            "Spike-y!  I've been looking all over for you."  Harmony looped her arm around Spike's and began pulling him towards the break room.  "Wanna take a break together?"

            Spike looked at Harmony with only barely concealed disdain.  _Still a cuppa might not be bad.  Get my head together._  

Having reconsidered, he leered at the eager woman next to him and said, "Why not, pet."

            The meeting was winding up.  Angel was pleased that he and Gunn had managed to work things out with M'Lugonis and her people.  _I wonder if Lily and Wes are having any luck.  What is Spike thinking coming on to her like that?  That boy will never learn.  I've got to keep him off her.  _He quickly stifled a growl at the thought of Spike and Lily in a rather compromising position.  _Not going to happen.  _

            Lily sighed heavily as the elevator doors finally opened.  She glanced around the foyer looking for Harmony.  _Great, she's bailed.  Might as well check her desk.  If I'm lucky, she left the book lying around.  _Lily began searching for the burgundy volume.  _Huh.  Unicorns.  Gotta remember that the next time I need a gift for her.  Do you buy vampires presents for the day their bodies were born or when they were turned?  _Lily shook her head to clear it as her mind began to wander.  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the much sought after book shoved up underneath a pile of mail.

"Harmony, just tell me where she is."

            "I **don't **know.  Geez, Spike, she's only human.  Why do you care about Lily so much all of a sudden?"

            Lily paled as she heard the two vampires discussing her.She ducked behind the desk as Harmony and Spike approached the elevators.  

            "Harm, let it go.  And stop trying to touch me, you barmy git." Spike punched the call button for the elevator.  The elevator doors whooshed opened, and he stepped in.  "Just tell her I was lookin' for her."  The doors closed quickly.

            "Damnit.  Stupid spell didn't work," Harmony muttered as she stomped back to her desk.  Lily popped up from behind the counter.  "Eeek!"

            "Harmony, please tell me you didn't use one of the spells from this book."

            "O-key.  I didn't use one of the spells from that book," she said hopefully.

            Lily gave her a withering look.  "Harm, show me which one you used, and maybe I can fix this.  Otherwise, when Angel and Spike find out what happened, being fired will be the least of your worries."

            "Angel?" she said with a hint of fear.

            "Your little love spell seems to have gone out of control.  Oh, Harmony, what were you thinking?"

            Harmony flopped into her chair.  "I just thought.  Never mind."  She took the book from Lily and turned to the transference spell.  "It was this one."

            Lily scanned the spell again.  "Right, do you have some time off?"  Harmony nodded.  "Why don't you take the time then, while I try to smooth things over?  I'll try to keep your name out of this."

            "Are you serious?  Why?"

            "You're my friend, Harmony.  I don't want you to get in trouble."

            Harmony grabbed her bag and headed for the elevators.  "See ya.  Thanks."

            Lily shook her head.  "You're welcome," she muttered as she headed to Wesley's office.  _With any luck, Wes will know how to reverse this thing. _

            Wesley sat in Angel's office waiting for his employer and Gunn to return.  He had gathered the components for a rather minor scrying spell.  It should tell him just who was affected by the spell.  He had deliberately avoided consulting the staff psychics.  After the problems with Eve, he had been wary of the more mystically inclined members of the staff.  _Targeting Spike or Angel I can understand.  But why put Lily in the middle?  She couldn't possibly be a threat._  He fiddled with the small crystal globe in front of him.  

            Lily stopped short when she noticed that the door to Wesley's office was open and the office empty.  _Great.  Where's he run off to?_  She turned to head for Angel's office flipping through the spellbook as she went.  Her brow furrowed as she read the spell Harmony had pointed out.  _That doesn't make any sense.  Why would the line read "two to fight for the love of one"?  _ So engrossed was she that she failed to notice Spike falling into step beside her.  

            "Ladies first."  

            Lily looked up in surprise to see the blond vampire waiting for her to go in ahead of him.  She tilted her head to the side as she examined him and lifted her hand tentatively to touch his face.

            "The scratches…they've healed?" She asked as she ran her thumb along his cheek.

            Spike leaned in to her touch.  "One of the benefits of being what I am, luv.  I heal quickly."

            For a moment, they stood studying one another.  The sound of voices inside the office finally broke them out of their reverie.  Lily's hand fell abruptly from Spike's face as she turned to go into the office.

            She wandered over to Wesley with the spellbook in hand.

            "I think this might be what we're looking for.  See what you can make of it.  Every time I translate it, it comes out funny."

            Wesley took the book from her and raised an eyebrow as if to question how she came across the book.

            "Don't ask.  Just trust me when I say the spell wasn't intended to target whom it did, nor was it cast in malice."

            With that Lily wandered over to the windows and stared blankly out at the cityscape.  

            "So, Wes, you gonna work your mojo so we can see who's been affected by this spell or what?"

            "Certainly, Charles.  This orb once activated will fill with a blue smoke.  It will hover in front of each of you for a moment or two.  If you've been affected by the spell, the smoke will turn red.  If not, the smoke won't change."

            Wesley muttered the appropriate incantation, and the orb began to glow.  It hovered in front of him for a moment; there was no change in the smoke.  It moved to Gunn next, and again there was no change.  Upon reaching Angel, the smoke began to swirl and shift and turned a bright red. 

            "As I expected.  That leaves Spike and Lily."  

            Spike intercepted the orb before it could reach Lily.  The smoke, which before only partially filled the orb, began to expand, but remained a bright red.

            "Your turn, Lil."

            Lily turned at the sound of Spike's voice to find a glowing ball of red smoke in front of her.  The ball began to flutter, and with a loud pop, it exploded sending shards of glass everywhere.  Lily managed to throw her hands up in front of her face in time to protect her eyes, but fragments of the globe were stuck in her palms.

            "Gunn, go get some bandages."  Angel was at Lily's side in an instant, deftly moving Spike out of the way.  He helped her to the couch and gently got Lily to open her hands.  He carefully began pulling shards out of her palms.  

            "Oh dear.  That shouldn't have happened."

            Spike spun on Wesley and fixed him with an angry glare.  At the moment, he couldn't take things out on Angel so the Watcher would have to do.

            "Damn right, it shouldn't.  What were you trying to do to her?  Turn her into modern art?  Girl with Shard in Forehead?" 

            "No, of course not, Spike.  The spell seems to have indicated the focal point as well.  Lily seems to be the center of this casting."

            "What?" said three voices at once.

            "Wait.  What did I miss?" Gunn asked as he returned with iodine and bandages.  Angel took the medication and bandages and gently began to clean Lily's wounds.  She winced as the iodine went into the cuts.

            "It's alright.  I'm almost done," Angel told her softly.  She stole a look at him and stifled a sigh.  She could swear his eyes were brimming with concern.  She tore her gaze from his as Wesley continued.

            "This is not good at all." Wesley looked from the spellbook to Lily's face.  He was fairly certain she had not cast the spell, but whoever did must have had it in for her in spite of what she said.

            "Stop sounding like somebody's maiden aunt and just tell us what the bloody hell is going on."  Spike said through clenched teeth.  He hadn't missed the look Angel had given Lily nor her response.  Neither improved his temper.

            "If Lily's assumption is right and this is the spell that was used, we could be in a lot of trouble."

            "It's just a transference spell, isn't it?  Can't you just reverse it and everyone's feelings go back to what passes for normal?" Lily asked with a hint of desperation in her voice.

            "Ordinarily, yes."

            "Why do I get the feeling that there's a 'but' coming?" Angel asked turning his attention from Lily's freshly bandaged hands to Wesley.  Absently, he kept both her hands in his and ran his thumb lightly over them in an effort to soothe the rather shaken young woman.

            "Yes, well.  It seems whoever cast the spell didn't realize that a page was missing.  What was cast is actually an amalgam of two spells.  The second spell is designed to force a young woman to choose a suitor."

            Lily gave Angel a small smile and pulled her hands from his.  She wandered over to Wesley and the spellbook. "That would explain the last line, but I still don't understand what this means exactly."

            "To put it as simply as possible, someone wanted to transfer the affections of one of you three from someone else to him or her or whatever.  But in the process, they activated another spell, which causes two suitors to compete for the affections of one woman.  The spell has several interesting effects including increasing the aggression levels of the two suitors.  I would think that would explain the outburst earlier.  Until Lily chooses one of you, or we can figure out a way to reverse the spell, the outbursts will increase in intensity until one of you is killed.  At least that seems to be what this final caveat says."  Wesley looked up from his text and met Lily's gaze.  _Poor thing.  She looks all in.  _

            "Right.  Let me get this straight.  The three of us are caught in some bizarre spell designed to force a woman to choose a mate.  To help that process along, the two men get to knock each other about to prove their virility and whoever survives wins.  To complicate matters further, these two have had their feelings for someone else transferred to me.  Is that about right?"

            "I think that about covers it; yes."

            Lily turned to look at Spike and then at Angel.  "If I were to choose someone right now, would that release us from the spell?"

            "I believe so…"

            "Fine.  Angel then."

            There was a pause as the five waited to see if there was any change.

            "Ahem." Wesley cleared his throat.  "The book indicates that a brief flash of light follows the declaration of the woman's true choice."

            Spike began to grin broadly.  "Means she has to be in love with one of us, doesn't it?  And admit it."

            Lily's eyes widened, and she sank into the nearby chair.  _Oh God.  What am I going to do?  I can't let myself fall in love with one of them.  Never mind the whole workplace romance is doomed before it begins stuff, they're vampires, for heaven's sake, and I'm an item on the menu.  Not to mention that I have a sneaking suspicion that what I feel will be real and that what they feel will end with the spell._

            "I'm afraid it does."  Wesley looked down at his friend.  _Poor thing.  This won't be easy._  "But that's only one option; with the resources available to me, I should be able to find a way to reverse the spell."

            "Good, I suggest you get on it then." Angel said nodding at Wesley and moving over to where Lily stood.  He placed an arm around her shoulders.  "In the meantime, why don't you go home, Lily?  You look exhausted.  Get some rest, and we'll talk later."

            "Thanks, Angel.  Are you sure you guys don't need me for anything?  We have the follow up material for the clan adoption to take care of."

            "We'll be fine.  I'll let you know when **I** need you."

            "Right." She looked from Angel to Spike and back again.  She stifled a sigh.  _I just don't believe this.  Wouldn't you know it would take a spell to get someone like him interested in someone like me?  Gotta hate irony._

Having spent the entire weekend in her apartment, Lily began to go slightly mad.  She'd watched more cable television than she had since she was a teenager and had come to the conclusion that being older than 16 meant you weren't important to network executives.  _Although the kid in Smallville is kinda cute._

            On Monday, she received a call from Wesley.  He hadn't made any progress on a counter-curse, but on the plus side, Angel and Spike's outbursts were getting back to normal.  He advised her to stay home for a few more days. 

            The listlessness that had begun to set in on Sunday only increased on Monday.  It was accompanied by an intense headache and nausea.  By Tuesday, she couldn't hold down any food, and on Wednesday, she could barely make it from the couch to anywhere.  

            Later Wednesday morning, the phone rang.  _What's that sound?  It's like a bicycle bell ringing in a well.  _She tried to get up to reach the phone and collapsed halfway to the kitchen.

            Wesley looked at the receiver of his desk phone in concern.  This would make the fourth message he would be leaving at Lily's in the last hour. The doorman to her building hadn't seen her since Friday when she came home.  He placed the receiver back in its cradle rather abruptly and grabbed his keys, including the key Lily had left with him over the holiday so that he could check on her plants while she spent Christmas with her folks.  He had managed to find the original spell involving the suitors; what it told him didn't settle his fears for Lily.  

            "Lily?" Wesley called as he knocked earnestly on her door.  Silence greeted him in reply.  He knocked and called once more before using his key.  He found her sprawled on the floor halfway to her kitchen.  Oddly, her body lay just like the ones in the movies and on television.  She was on her stomach; her face was tilted to the left, her right arm was outstretched, her left was slightly bent, and her right leg was extended with the left pulled toward her.

            Wesley got on one knee next to her.  "Lily."

            Her eyes fluttered open part way, and from her lips came a piteous moan.  Then there was silence.  Wesley lifted her up and carried her to the couch.  Her pulse was weak, and he could feel the warmth of her body slowly fading.  Once he placed her on the couch, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911.  After explaining the situation as best he could, Wesley collapsed in a chair next to the couch.  Lily's breathing was shallow; he only hoped the medics arrived in time.


	8. Chapter Eight Wicked Game

Chapter Eight – Wicked Game

Disclaimer: All _Angel_ and _Buffy _properties belong to Joss Whedon and his associates. No infringement upon their rights is intended. I've officially deviated from current continuity. I may insert little details from the Season Five of _Angel_, but this is alternate universe. Italics indicate thoughts, and bold indicates emphasis. For those of you who have been waiting for an update, I humbly ask your pardon.

Rating: PG-13; mostly language and innuendo.

Wesley stared blankly through the glass window at the body of his friend currently hooked up to an assortment of beeping and dripping machines. _I've spent far too much of my life on one side or the other of ICU walls._ He had been watching Lily for any sign of change for the last hour, but there was none. Nurses seemed to stream steadily in and out of her room, refilling IV bags, taking her temperature or her blood pressure, or attempting to wake her. Through it all, Lily never moved. Once or twice he heard a sound come from her, an eerie keening somewhere between a she-wolf's mournful cry for her mate and a mother's scream. _Reminds me of Coleridge. Odd that._

"How is she?"

Startled, Wesley turned to see his employer. Angel's shoulders were slightly hunched, his face a mask of concern.

"The doctors are baffled by her condition. They keep giving her fluids, but they simply pass through her." Wesley paused, uncertain whether to reveal what he had learned about the spell. He still wasn't sure how the spell was affecting either vampire.

Angel turned and fixed Wesley with his steady gaze. "But you know, don't you? You know what's happening to her?"

Wesley sighed. "I've been researching the suitors spell. It seems one of the provisos of the spell requires the woman in question to be in close proximity to at least one of the men." Wesley's voice caught as he continued. "I believe if she doesn't see one of you soon she'll simply waste away." Just as he finished, Lily stirred and emitted a wail.

Faster than should have been possible, Angel was at her side. As soon as he touched her face, the scream stopped. Wesley watched as Angel tenderly stroked her hair. A nurse moved into the room to check on her patient. She looked from Lily's pale form to the man who stood over her and quickly left the room. In a few moments, she returned with a doctor.

"Excuse me, sir. I need to check Ms. Rose's condition," the doctor said as he attempted to move between Angel and Lily.

Angel didn't move; he just kept stroking Lily's hair. After several unsuccessful attempts to move the larger man out of his way, the doctor moved to the opposite side of the bed and began checking his patient's vitals. What he saw both delighted and surprised him. He ordered the nurse to have fresh equipment brought in just in case, but it seemed as though the young woman had rallied. The doctor looked from his patient into the face of the man across from him and shook his head. He'd seen too many young couples separated by illness; perhaps this time he would be able to offer someone some hope.

"Sir?" The doctor gestured toward the door. "I'd like to discuss Ms. Rose with you for a moment."

Angel didn't respond. Wesley stepped in next to the doctor.

"If you don't mind, Doctor, perhaps you can fill me in on Lily's condition."

The doctor nodded and motioned for Wesley to follow him out of the room.

Back at the office, Spike paced restlessly. _I'm getting bloody tired of this waiting around. Don't soddin' care what our agreement was, I'm gonna see Lil. _Before he could reach the elevator, he bumped into Wesley.

"Ah, Spike." Wesley adjusted his glasses. "You don't happen to know where Harmony is, do you? I need her help to gather some things from Li-, for a spell."

Spike cocked an eyebrow. "And you want **Harm's **help with a spell?" He chuckled. "Go on; tell us another one, mate. 'Sides, Harm isn't here."

"Oh. Well, that complicates matters. Perhaps Fred," Wesley muttered as he wandered away.

Spike grabbed his arm and swung him around. He looked intently at Wesley for a moment before asking, "What's happened to her?"

"To Harmony? I'm afraid I couldn't say. Now, if you don't mind, I have some rather important business to attend to." Wesley attempted to pull his arm free of Spike's grasp, which only served to cause Spike to tighten his grip.

"Don't play games with me, Percy. You're just not that good. What's happened to Lil?"

Wesley hesitated. _If I tell him and he rushes to see her with Angel still there, the ensuing mayhem will hardly aid in her recovery. Still, seeing both of them separately might speed things up a bit._ He cleared his throat tentatively before he began his explanation of Lily's condition. The pressure Spike put on his arm increased as he mentioned the ICU, causing Wesley to rethink telling him of Angel's involvement in her sudden improvement.

Abruptly Spike let go of Wesley's arm, spun, and headed for the stairs. His mind worked furiously. Everyone had been so consumed with the effects of the spell no one had bothered to investigate just who had cast it. Spike growled as he slammed open the door to the garage and stalked to the nearest car. The faint smell of heated rubber announced his sudden departure. _Harm knows what's going on. And so help me, the poof will need a new secretary if she did this on purpose._

The orderly wheeled Lily's bed into a private room followed by a silent Angel. Once her effects were in order the orderly left, leaving the two of them alone. Angel sighed deeply as he pulled the chair closer to the bed. One hand absently swept through his hair as he recalled sitting next to a similar hospital bed watching a young woman he cared for seemingly slip away. _But she's not Cordelia. She's not leaving me, and I'm not abandoning her. Not again._ The muscles in his jaw tightened as he traced the outline of Lily's face and was rewarded with a soft moan as she leaned into his touch. Something that might have been a smile played across his lips. The doctors expected her to wake at any moment. A sound at the door caused Angel to stop his contemplation of Lily's features; he turned to see Wesley and Fred waiting anxiously in the doorway. He motioned for them to follow him out of the room.

"How is she?" Fred asked with a slight hitch in her voice.

"Better. Doctors expect her to wake up soon." Angel looked at Wes. "We need to discuss the arrangements we've made about this spell. I won't have this happening again."

"Of course. I'll talk to Lily about…"

"No. **I'll** make the arrangements. Just let her know that when they release her I want to see her." Angel looked back through the open door to check on Lily one last time. "See that she's comfortable, Wes."

"That was weird." Fred bent to pick up the suitcase she and Wesley had brought. "Well, weirder than usual. Did you tell Spike where Lily is? I'm thinking he'd want to know."

"Hmmm?" Wesley only half-heard Fred's question. Something about the way Angel was acting was bothering him. _Certainly he's being protective of her, but this doesn't seem to fit with his usual damsel-in-distress response. Neither Fred nor Cordelia seemed to bring out this ferocious a response. In fact only Dar-._

"Wesley!" Fred grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the bed where Lily lay. "She's waking up!"

Lily opened her eyes and groaned. The lights were too bright, and the room smelled like Lysol. Slowly her brain began to process the data her various senses were sending. Her throat was dry, her arms hurt at the elbows, she was cold, her head hurt, and she was hungry. Her brain added those bits of information together and came to one rather disheartening conclusion. _I'm in a hospital._ She let out another groan.

"Are you okay? Should we get a nurse?"

Lily turned her head in the direction of the voice and swallowed a wave of nausea. She saw Fred and Wesley watching her.

"I'm fine," she said or at least tried to say. What came out sounded more like "Arrghmm fin".

Wesley stifled a chuckle. "I doubt that. Perhaps some water?" Lily took the proffered glass and winced as the water splashed down her raw throat.

When she tried to speak a second time, her voice sounded a little more human, if not entirely like herself. "What happened?" she rasped.

Wesley shifted uncomfortably, unsure how much he should or could explain. Fred patted his arm in encouragement as she sat down in the chair vacated by Angel. With the eyes of both women on him, Wesley began to feel as though he had no choice in the matter and began, as Lewis Carroll once wrote, at the beginning and when he had come to the end, he stopped.

Across town, Spike sat in his car. He knew everything now or at least as much of everything as could be expected. THUNK! His head connected with the steering wheel of the Barracuda for the tenth time. The dull throbbing of his head proved to be a welcome, if not lasting, distraction. It had been ridiculously easy to get what passed for the truth out of Harmony. How she found the spellbook in Lily's office, how she conned one of the vampires in accounting to help her with pronouncing the words of the spell, how it was supposed to be activated by contact, and how she had hoped to pull his affections away from Buffy onto her. She had no idea how Lily managed to get involved. THUNK! _Shouldn't feel bad. Silly git knows I'm not interested anymore. Which is why she tried the spell. Got tired of unrequited love, now, didn't she? Bloody hell. _THUNK! _What I don't get is Lily knows. Why not tell me? Or Peaches? Why is she protecting Harmony? _A buzzing from the glovebox pulled Spike out of his reflections. After rummaging in the small compartment for a few moments, he flipped open the ubiquitous cell phone that seemed to mark all Wolfram and Hart employees.

"Spike? It's Fred. Look I can't talk long but I thought you should know that Lily's in the company hospital. She's okay but if you wanted to you could come by and see her. Oops gotta run. She's in room 412. Bye."

Spike stared at the phone and smirked. _Fred never comes up for air when she's nervous. Right then. Hospital it is. Probably should tell Watcher-boy what I found out first, in case it helps him in reversing this damned thing._

Several hours later found Lily in the tiny shower off her room. Fred had been kind enough to bring in some of her bath supplies so she needn't partake of the hospital's hypoallergenic and remarkably antiseptic products. She leaned against the cool tiles as the hot water poured over her and absently rubbed her arms where the IV needles had been. _Well, this certainly hasn't been one of my better days._ She rinsed, lathered, and repeated from head to toe at least twice before emerging from the shower. She felt improved; better was still a ways off. She began to dry herself with the hospital towel but stopped at the mildly abrasive feel of the cloth. Shrugging, she put on the pajamas Fred had brought. The material stuck to her wet skin, but at the moment she didn't care. She began to comb the tangles out of her hair and padded her way back into her room. She sat on the bed and flipped on the TV. She grimaced slightly as she recognized a rather overly sentimental John Hughes film with Molly Ringwald but didn't change the channel. She leaned back against the pillows and listened absently to the teen angst that played out before her. It seemed an appropriate backdrop as she tried to sort out what Wesley had told her earlier. Unfortunately, she didn't get very far in her musings because she kept coming back to one thought – he didn't come. Why she should be surprised that Angel came and Spike didn't she wasn't sure, but there she was, feeling a little hurt and a lot confused by the blond vampire's absence. She sighed and closed her eyes in the hopes that that would make thinking easier.

"Heard you were ill, love." Spike gave her a careful once over. "You don't look that bad to me."

Lily's eyes flew open at the sound of Spike's voice, and she found herself smiling. "Why Spike, I had no idea you were partial to raccoons," she said thinking the circles under her eyes were far too obvious to ignore.

He let out a chuckle and moved to the chair next to her bed. Lily reached for him and pulled him onto the bed instead.

"Do you mind sitting with me?" she asked tentatively. "I'm kinda tired of having people stare at me from that chair. This seems," she paused, "friendlier."

Spike shrugged, removed his coat, and leaned back against the pillows. He waited for her to settle in next to him. "How are you?"

"Alive. Which is more than the doctors expected out of me. Wes said the spell has a failsafe to insure that the girl gives the suitors a chance to win her over. She can't hide; otherwise, the spell slowly drains away her life force." She shuddered and moved closer to Spike. "Not a lot of fun let me tell you."

Spike growled at the last bit of information. Mental gears turning, he bit out, "Angel been here?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. In fact, he's the one who brought me out of the coma or trance or whatever the spell was doing to me." She turned to look at Spike as he stiffened. "I haven't seen him though."

Spike relaxed a bit. "Figures," he muttered. "Has to be all dark and broody when nobody's lookin'. Can't stick around for the girl to wake up."

"I guess," Lily yawned.

"I should be going; you probably need to sleep," he said as he reached for his coat. " I'll check on you tomorrow."

"No. I'm okay. I'd really appreciate the company if you've got the time."

"For you love, I've got all the time in the world."

They sat quietly watching the movie with Lily leaning lightly on Spike. As the credits began to roll, Spike turned to ask Lily a question and discovered that she had fallen asleep. He tried to get up, but as he shifted positions, Lily rolled onto her side and nestled into the crook of his arm. He heard her give a contented sigh. Bemused, he stopped moving and pulled the blanket up over the two of them. _Wesley had better figure this thing out soon. Or someone is definitely going to get hurt._


	9. Chapter Nine From Kiss to Kiss

Chapter Nine – From Kiss to Kiss

Disclaimer: All _Angel_ and _Buffy _properties belong to Joss Whedon and his associates. No infringement upon their rights is intended. This story is set in an alternate Season Five of _Angel._ Details from the canon run may appear from time to time. Italics indicate thoughts, and bold indicates emphasis. The chapter title comes from a poem by William Butler Yeats, which will appear later. Many thanks for the positive reviews!

Rating: T; mostly language and innuendo.

Disorientation is not fun. It's also not the best feeling in the world to wake up to. Lily stretched, tentatively reaching out across what she assumed was a bed. Nothing. Huh. Was I expecting someone? As the sleepiness began to subside, Lily's memories of the previous day came crashing back. She opened her eyes searching for some sign of Spike. Initially, she felt a jolt of panic when she couldn't find him. The feeling subsided when she realized that the blinds were open, and the sun brightly illuminated her room. Right, no necrotempered glass. Sunshine equals no Spike. Okay, that's rational enough. Lily ran her tongue across her teeth. Blech! Shag carpets have less fuzz than my teeth. Just as she swung her legs over the side of the bed, she heard a sound from the door. Looking up she saw one of the many doctors who had attended her yesterday. She raised an eyebrow. "Felling better are we?" The doctor barely paused for an answer. "Good. We'd like to run some more tests." With that the doctor turned and moved out of the doorway only to be replaced by a stream of interns and nurses wheeling various beeping appliances. Lily flopped back across the bed with a sigh. Today is so not going to be a good day. 

Several hours and vials of fluids later found Lily alone. Ordinarily, she would appreciate the quiet, but now it simply made her feel uneasy. She wished someone would stop by – anyone. Okay, maybe not anyone. Angel would be nice. . .or Spike. Arrggh. I wish Wesley would figure out a counter-spell. A voice from the doorway interrupted her thoughts; she braced herself for another round of tests.

"Ms. Rose?" Lily looked up to see one of the nurses carrying a large vase full of daisies. "These just came for you. I'll just set them by the bed." And good as her word, she did and much to Lily's relief left without a poke, prod, or a stick.

_Why would anyone be sending me flowers? I'll be going home tonight or tomorrow morning at the latest._ She pulled a card from amongst the blossoms and read "Thought these might help you make up your mind. – Spike" _How on earth are daisies supposed to help me make up my…Oh!_ Lily looked at the bouquet and began to giggle profusely. _I wonder. They're too pretty to tear up. Maybe I can just count the petals, just to see. _After digging out a notepad from the bedside table, Lily began to keep a tally. The task kept her busy for most of the day. At the end of the day, she had managed to count them all. When she looked down, her heart gave a little lurch. Every single flower came up the same. _Now how in the hell is that supposed to help?_

Angel sat at his desk glancing vacantly at the papers Gunn had brought in for him to sign. A merger here, a lawsuit there, nothing out of the ordinary for LA's demon law firm. His mind kept returning to a quiet hospital room and the sleeping woman he had left behind. Wesley had been in earlier to say that Lily was doing better and that the doctors were thinking of releasing her later tonight or perhaps tomorrow. Angel set aside the documents and sank back into the leather of his desk chair. Lily's sudden brush with death at the hands of this spell had altered the rules significantly. A voice in the back of Angel's mind growled that since she responded to his presence it was a clear sign that she wanted **him**. She just needed a little push. And then, well then, maybe things would improve for he who perpetually broods. It had been a long time since he had a consort, someone who was, if not his equal, at least was not his rival or enemy. Angel smiled slowly, picked up the phone, and began to make arrangements for tomorrow evening. The voice in the back of his mind began to chuckle.

Spike stood in the bookstore contemplating the row of leather volumes in front of him. It had been awhile since he bought a Valentine's present for anyone. In fact, the last Valentine's gift he had given had been to Drusilla, and Angel had managed to one up him on that one. _Adorable little shop girl indeed._ Spike attempted to suppress a growl. The attempt was evidently unsuccessful as the teenage girl next to him let out a squeak and fled. While he didn't think Lily would appreciate a human heart on Valentine's Day, Spike wasn't sure what she **would** like. And so here he stood in one of those awful bookstore/coffee shop/ music store/ video store things. He sighed as he continued to thumb through random volumes of poetry. He missed the shops of his youth with their rich smell of leather and lamp oil and the ever-present little old man proprietor. Shaking his head, he looked down at the volume he was currently holding and scanned a poem on the page.

Never Give All the Heart

Never give all the heart, for love  
Will hardly seem worth thinking of  
To passionate women if it seem  
Certain, and they never dream  
That it fades out from kiss to kiss;  
For everything that's lovely is  
But a brief, dreamy, kind delight.  
O never give the heart outright,  
For they, for all smooth lips can say,  
Have given their hearts up to the play.  
And who could play it well enough  
If deaf and dumb and blind with love?  
He that made this knows all the cost,  
For he gave all his heart and lost.

_Too right that. _Spike snapped the volume shut. _I'm not playing this soddin' spell's game anymore. No more playing love's bitch._ And then Spike remembered the feel of Lily in his arms. _Hmmph, then again can't let the Poof beat me again._ With a sly grin, he spun on his heel and left the store, a plan of subtle seduction brewing in his mind.

Lily sighed as she entered her apartment relieved to be free of the hospital. Tossing her keys onto the sideboard and carrying the flowers Spike sent her, she wandered to the kitchen for a snack. The doctors wanted her to eat lightly for the remainder of the day, but unless she had a flare-up, she was free to return to her normal routine tomorrow. _Huh. I wonder what they would consider normal. Not something I've been familiar with of late._ She rubbed her head as the medications began to wear off and the throb of the days before returned. Muttering to herself, she opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water. Absently scanning the kitchen for munchies, she noticed the light on her answering machine blinking. _Right. Back to responsibilities I suppose._ She pushed play.

Beep!

"Oh, I suspected that you would have returned by now. But it appears that you haven't or perhaps I'm disturbing your rest. Terribly sorry. I just thought you would like to know that I think I've made some interesting progress on the spell, and I'd like to speak with you as soon as possible."

Lily smiled at the hurried and apologetic tone in Wesley's voice. It was comforting to have someone worried for her – without the assistance of a spell. She made a note to call Wesley after the messages were complete.

Beep!

"Lily, I'm sorry I had to leave before you woke. I was hoping that I could see you when you feel up to it. I'd like to make sure you're really okay. Would dinner Friday be good for you? Let me know, little one. I miss you."

Lily inhaled deeply and tried to calm the fluttering of her heart as she listened to Angel's voice purr at her from the answering machine. Something tingled at the back of her mind, but between hormones, medication, and the spell, the thought remained elusive. All she could manage was a squeal reminiscent of a teenage girl who just received her first love note. She began thinking of what to wear and what to say when the beep of the machine interrupted her thoughts.

Beep!

"Bollocks!"

Beep!

"Right. Just wanted to …" The machine cut the caller off.

Beep!

"Blast…!" Again the tape cut the voice off. Lily frowned trying to place the voice of the person who seemed to be intent on leaving her snippets of a message.

Beep!

There was a soft sigh before the words began. "Lily, just wanted to make sure you're all right love. I'm at the office. Ring me please."

_Huh. That's odd. I think that's Spike. Only his message sounds rather like we're married._ She hit rewind and listened to his thwarted attempts again as she made herself a sandwich, the ache in her head forgotten.

With sandwich and liquid refreshment on hand, she picked up the phone and began to make her requested calls. Her eyes drifted to the vase of daisies as she absently dialed the phone.

Spike paced as he waited for the phone to ring. He fiddled with the package of cigarettes in his pocket with one hand, while the other kept raking through his hair. The bleached curls were beginning to take on a shade of soft brown even though he'd just touched them up. His mind raced with possibilities. Wesley had said that she had been released from the hospital at 4. He spared a glance at the clock on the wall – 8 pm. He hadn't slept in at least a day. Didn't appear that he would until he heard from her. There was a tightness in his chest that seemed a little too familiar. _Where is she? Should've gone to pick her up. Blast. She could be anywhere, hurt or sick, or with Angel. _Each option that presented itself to him made him more tense. When the phone next to him rang, Spike nearly flew to answer it.

"Hello. William here."

"Hmm? Oh, Spike? I was just calling to say thank you for the flowers, and to say that I'm okay. The doctors gave me a clean bill of health." Lily's voice wavered ever so slightly. She hadn't realized she had dialed Spike's office. She had meant to call Wesley.

"That's wonderful. Will you be coming in then?"

Lily looked at the phone slightly confused. The cockney had fallen away from his tone; she wasn't sure who this Spike was. "Umm. I think perhaps so a little later. I need to talk to Wesley first."

"Right. Well, you do that. Need to get the soddin' spell reversed now, don't we?"

Lily started at the abrupt change in his tone. _Stupid girl. He called to make sure you were well enough to work on reversing the spell. He doesn't care a bit about you beyond that._

"I'll do that. Goodbye, Spike." His name left her lips as a hiss as she slammed the receiver down.

_Damn. Cocked that one up royally. She probably thinks I've been pretending this whole time. _He began to pace again. A slow smile crept across his face as he remembered his plan. If he could manage to be patient he might just win her over, but the setting had to be perfect. He grabbed the phone book and began to place a call.

Wesley was engrossed in a volume of prophecies when the phone rang.

"Wyndham-Price."

"Wesley." Lily sniffed. She swore under her breath. She had begun to cry almost immediately after her conversation with Spike. She knew it had to be the spell making her care what he thought of her, but she couldn't stop herself. His seeming indifference stung. And her head had begun to throb again.

"Lily, are you quite well? Have you been crying? Should I come over?" Wesley's voice was all concern, and Lily gave a strangled cry. Wesley looked at the phone with a bewildered expression as she sobbed on the other end. Her words weren't making any sense.

"Doesn't care" Gulp "Leading me on." Sniff. " Stupid pillock."

At that last, Wesley understood. "What exactly has Spike done?"

Sniff "Nuh-nothing." Lily took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm fine, Wesley. Tell me you've found a way to reverse the spell and all will be right with the world."

"The spell. Yes, well, it seems there's a proximity clause."

"A what?"

"You need to see one or both of your suitors in order to avoid a repeat of your earlier illness. I believe the idea is to force the woman to make a speedy decision."

At first, silence met his revelation. Then there was more silence. Just as Wesley was about to check if the line was still active, he heard a sharp laugh.

"So you're saying that I need to hang out with one or both of the world's most deadly vampires in order to keep **the spell** from killing me? Could my life become anymore surreal?"

"I'm afraid so. Angel and I have been discussing it, and we think it might be a good idea if you were to see each of them outside of the office. It should help to stave off the nastier consequences of the spell."

"What you're not saying is that it will also give me the opportunity to fall in love with one of them so that we have a fall back plan in case you can't reverse this thing."

Wesley sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in a gesture reminiscent of Giles. "Yes, I suppose that's true as well. I am sorry."

Again Lily laughed that dry laugh. "You know that what they're feeling for me is just some twisted version of what they feel for Buffy, don't you? And when this is all over, they'll go back to feeling what they've always felt, and I'll be stuck nursing a broken heart."

"Oh dear. I hadn't thought about that. Lily, I promise it won't come to that." In his mind, Wesley began making a list of contacts he could call in to break the spell if he needed to. He wondered again what her relationship to Giles was. Sometimes contrived love spells could be broken by true feelings. He'd have to find some discreet way of asking.

Lily interrupted his train of thought. "Listen, Wes. I'm gonna go. I need to call Angel. It seems I have a date tomorrow night. Take care."

Wesley was left holding a dead line and wondering how things got so complicated that he found himself wishing for the good old days when inter-dimensional goddesses tried to take over the world. Shaking his head slightly, he wandered out of his office and down to the lab and Fred. _Perhaps there is an alchemical solution to our problem._

Lily listlessly dialed Angel's number. Her mind reeled from the latest twist to this spell. She toyed with the idea of telling Angel who cast the spell and why. But the thought of Harmony's potential dusting didn't make her feel righteously avenged; it just made her queasy. She was startled from her thoughts by Angel's voice.

"Hello?"

"Um. Hi. Angel. It's Lily." _Damn it. I'm tongue-tied. What am I, fifteen? It's like I've never been on a date before._ "You asked me to call. So here I am. Calling." _Brilliant. Win him over with your wit._

Angel smiled. She was nervous. He could hear it in her voice; the sound of her racing pulse hummed in the background. "It's nice to know someone does what I ask. So, are you okay?"

The sound of his voice sent her into another spiral of girlish giddiness. She shook her head to focus on what he asked. "Hmmm? Me? Oh, I'm fine. The pain medication is wearing off, and I ought to be in what passes for normal condition by tomorrow."

"Perfect. I'll pick you up at 8. We'll have dinner and talk about this very interesting spell we're under." Lily heard a buzzing in the background. "Excuse me a second." She heard an exchange of muttering and then Angel returned. "I have to leave unfortunately. Get some rest, sweetling."

"Bye, Angel." _Wow. I have a date with an Angel. Huh._


	10. Chapter 10 Fundamental Things

Chapter Ten – Fundamental Things

Disclaimer: All _Angel_ and _Buffy _properties belong to Joss Whedon and his associates. No infringement upon their rights is intended. This story is set in an alternate Season Five of _Angel._ Details from the canon run may appear from time to time. Italics indicate thoughts, and bold indicates emphasis. The chapter title comes from "As Time Goes By," (music and words by Herman Hupfeld). The song will appear later. Also included in this chapter are the lyrics to "I Could Have Danced All Night" by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe and "Shall We Dance?" by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein III. Many thanks for the positive reviews!

Rating: M; Language, innuendo, drug use.

The utter lack of fanfare that met Lily's return to work on Friday was at once both appreciated and terribly disappointing. _Sigh. _Lily sat down to a stack of papers and listlessly began to sort through them. _Just a little "Welcome back._ _Glad you didn't die." would have been nice. _Soon she lost herself in translating yet another apocalyptic prophecy. _Doesn't anyone ever record positive prophecies?_ Hours passed rapidly as Lily continued to work alone.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite songbird. Glad to see you're feeling better, sweetling." Lily looked up to see a grinning Lorne reclining comfortably in the armchair across from her desk. She smiled; her path didn't cross Lorne's often, but this was one demon that left joy in his wake. She could definitely use some joy or even moderate amusement. "So," he asked. "Ready for your big date?"

'Wha--?" Lily looked up at the clock and groaned. 4:30. _Yikes! I've got three and a half hours to get ready, and I have absolutely no idea what to wear._ "Umm, no?"

"Gotcha covered." Lorne laughed and pulled a large dress box up from next to his chair. "This should go a long way to knocking Angelcakes' socks off. Now, scoot, Toots. You've got an appointment with Armand in 20. You wouldn't believe what I had to promise to get you in on short notice. Still, you should be ready for love in no time." Lorne made a shooing motion toward the elevator doors. "After all, it's not polite to keep a champion waiting."

"Again, I say, wha--?" Lily asked.

Lorne moved behind the desk and gently lifted Lily from her chair. "Let's just say, I want you to put your best foot forward and leave it at that," he explained as he guided her towards the elevator. He placed the dress box in her hands and sighed. _Poor kid certainly could do with a little pampering. Wonder if I can convince her to take a day for a full body treatment? _He plastered a smile on his face as the doors to the elevator slid open, and he ushered her inside. _Wes better come up with the goods soon, or she's not going to be around to enjoy the fruits of her choice. _"Things will be just fine, sweetie."

Lily nodded, not entirely sure of what she'd gotten herself into.

Good as his word, Lorne had her in Armand's chair within the required twenty minutes. A young woman named Chloe massaged her hands while Armand himself toyed with her hair. "I think we'll leave it down. It'll soften your features, hon," gushed Armand. "Wait until you see what Freddie has in mind for your make-up."

"Actually, I was thinking of wearing it up. The guy in question has a thing for necks." Lily cut her eyes to where Lorne was choking into his half-caff mocha latte with extra cream. Her own eyes widened. _I said that out loud. Oh boy._

A chuckle from behind her caused Lily to look up into the mirror. "Don't we all, sugar." For a moment, Lily was confused. She saw herself in the mirror and a pair of scissors hanging in mid-air. Then it hit her. She turned to Lorne and mouthed "**That** Armand?"

Lorne nodded as he checked his watch. "Got to run, kiddo. Take care," Lorne paused to look at her intently. "Try not to overanalyze what's going on. You'll know when you know."

Lily tried to nod, but at that moment Armand had a handful of her hair. Lorne laughed lightly and left.

"Now, let's see about doing something about those terrible bags," Freddie said to her an hour later. "Geez, you look like the living dead, if you'll pardon the expression."

Lily chuckled. "You have no idea."

With an hour to go, Lily was appropriately coiffed, powdered, and painted. Armand had convinced her to book a full day's treatment with him the following week after promising that he did not **really** give his special customers the Elizabeth Bathory treatment. Clutching the dress box to her chest, she tapped a neatly pedicured foot as she waited for the company car to take her home so that she could change. The butterflies in her stomach were rapidly becoming very angry wasps. Idly, she wondered how she was going to survive the night.

Meanwhile, Angel stepped out of the elevator to check the progress of the heli-pad's transformation. _Some days it's good to be the CEO of a powerful, but mostly evil, law firm. Things get done so quickly. _As he scanned the scene before him, he gave a small satisfied smile. Lorne had really come through for him. Warner Brothers had only been too happy to loan them the vintage sets, particularly since W&H had been able to clear up a small matter involving an undead starlet. With Spike safely out of the way on a hunt for a non-existent mystical artifact, the evening should proceed smoothly. A quick glance at his watch told Angel he should head downstairs to pick up Lily. Instead of driving himself, Angel had requested the company limo to pick Lily up. After the trauma of the last few days, he felt she should be treated with care.

As she waited, Lily fidgeted with her dress. She couldn't believe how lovely it was – pink rose cotton voile, a heart shaped bodice with a gathered bust and no straps. She felt oddly self-conscious showing off that much skin and chose an old-fashioned lace shawl her grandmother had given her to conceal as much as she could. She twirled to watch the full skirt with the double layer of crinolines spread out under her. A soft giggle escaped her lips as she did so. _I don't think I could feel any more like Cinderella if I tried. _Lost in the sensation of her own twirling, and the rustle of the crinoline, Lily failed to hear the knock at her door announcing the arrival of her Prince Charming. A slightly louder thunking on her door pulled her from her reverie. A bit dizzy, she opened the door.

There stood Angel. He had chosen to forego his omni-present black and wore colors to match his lady fair. His deep rose silk shirt coordinated nicely with her dress. Lily stood mute while Angel watched her intently. He held an arm out to her. "Shall we, my dear?"

"Hmm?" Lily blinked trying desperately to make sense of what she saw before her. _Angel. Not in black. With his shirt open more than one button. Oh MY! _The butterflies in her stomach gave a contented little flutter. "Oh. Right." Lily grabbed her tiny handbag and draped her shawl about her shoulders. "Lead the way." She linked her arm through Angel's and stifled a sigh. There was strength there, and she was tempted to just relax into him and never come back.

The ride to Wolfram and Hart was a quiet one. Lily played with the tassels of her shawl and tried to think of something to say. Angel studied her. Lorne had mentioned taking her to a salon, and he detected a touch more make-up than he was accustomed to seeing on her. Underneath the carefully applied powder, he could see the dark circles under her eyes, even in the dim light of the limo. His jaw clenched as he thought of the hell the spell was putting her through.

Lily chose that moment to look over at him and started. "Is something the matter? Why are we headed back to the office? Is everyone alright?"

"Everyone's fine." Angel allowed his features to relax. "I have a surprise for you." He reached over and pulled her close. "There's nothing to worry about, Lily. I'll take care of you."

"Hmmm," Lily sighed. "That sounds like a lovely idea."

The driver interrupted what might have been a tender moment with a tap at the glass. "We've arrived, sir."

Angel restrained himself and chose **not** to bite the chauffeur's head off. Instead, he smoothly exited the vehicle and opened Lily's door, ushering her into the darkened parking garage. Angel watched as Lily tensed upon exiting the limo. _She worries too much. Fortunately, tonight should make clear to her at whose feet she should lay her heart. Then she'll have no more worries._

Angel bowed dramatically and with a slight smile beckoned Lily into the elevator, "Trust me?"

"Always."

Her response to the heli-pad was just what he had wanted. From the moment they stepped from his private elevator until the dessert course, she wore a dazzled expression on her face, eyes shining brightly and lips slightly parted. _She truly is perfect_. _The plan's working nicely. _Angel pulled a bottle of rose Chablis out of its stand. _Now for phase two._ He watched Lily reverently wander through the set of Rick's _Cafe Americain, _periodically running her hand down the smooth wood. He could hear her humming softly to herself. He crept up next to her and offered her a glass of wine.

"Of all the gin joints…"

Lily laughed softly as she sipped the sweet wine. "Your Bogey impression is awful you know."

"Probably," he said with a slow smile, "but I dance much better than I talk." He held out a hand as from somewhere within the maze of the set a piano began to softly play. Lily stared into his eyes for a long moment before she slipped into his arms leaving her glass, on the bar beside her. She felt a little off-balance even though she had drunk only a single glass of wine. She could hear her heart pounding against Angel's chest, echoing the tempo of the music back to her as their bodies swayed in the moonlight. She felt so calm, so safe. Maybe she had made the right choice when she impulsively gave Angel's name when the spell first activated. _Tonight will be the best way to tell, I guess._ Angel's hand slipped under her wrap and began to make lazy circles on her back. The coolness of his hand coupled with the gentle strength of his grasp made her even weaker in the knees. Unconsciously, she began to sing.

"Moonlight and love songs  
Never out of date.  
Hearts full of passion  
Jealousy and hate.  
Woman needs man  
And man must have his mate  
That no one can deny.

It's still the same old story  
A fight for love and glory  
A case of do or die.  
The world will always welcome lovers  
As time goes by.

Oh yes, the world will always welcome lovers  
As time goes by."

As the final words of the song died on her lips, she looked up at Angel. He was staring at her with those deeply mysterious eyes, which looked golden in the light of the café. He bent low to place the softest of kisses on her lips, but before she could even begin to register what was happening, a brusque coughing from behind caused Angel to pull back with a growl.

Lily staggered back, confused as Angel pushed her away. _I've heard people growl in frustration, but that was an animal._ Retrieving her glass, she shook her head in a vain attempt to clear her thinking. Absently, she walked back to the table where the remains of their meal sat and refilled her glass.

Angel stood scowling at Hamilton, the Senior Partners' liaison after the departure of Eve. "I thought I made it clear that I wasn't to be disturbed for **any** reason this evening," he said through clenched teeth. _I need to_ _get back to Lily. I'm just too close this time._

"Yes. Well." Hamilton flashed his lower incisors and adjusted his tie, "That little problem you handled in order to set up this evening has been causing complications. The clients request that you take care of it **personally**."

Angel stood very still for a moment, and Hamilton wondered if perhaps he was going to take yet another punch to the jaw. "Fine, give me a minute. This had better not take long."

Angel walked to where Lily had dropped into one of the many chairs. He turned her face to him. Her eyes were a bit out of focus, and she smelled vaguely of flowers. "I have ta go, darlin' one. Wait for me?"

Lily reached up to touch his face. "For as long as it takes, fair prince." Angel smiled and kissed her a bit more strongly before leaving. _This really is too easy, _the voice in his head chuckled_. But well worth it._

An hour passed, and then another. Lily felt deliciously numb, but she was bored. She bent to gather her shoes and shawl, as well as the bottle of wine, nearly falling in the process. She took the elevator to Angel's office, not feeling brave enough to stop at his penthouse. She stumbled into the office and took a swig of the rapidly disappearing bottle of wine. _Stupid vampire._ _Gets my hopes up and wanders off. Leaves me all misty-eyed and romantic with only a bottle of wine for company. Not gonna choose him for my happily-ever-after. Nope. Served him right if I chose Spike, or, better still, Wes! _Lily's brow furrowed at that thought, which made her head hurt, so she took another swig of the wine. _Hmm._ _Nice little bottle of fermenty goodness. Lonely. Wanna see somebody. Want smoochies! _Lily stomped her foot and went in search of someone male, available, and willing.

The lobby was empty, which wasn't particularly surprising as it was one in the morning. Lily carefully placed the bottle on Harmony's desk. The smooth floor felt cool under her stockinged feet, and she began to sway as she thought about how nice it had felt to dance with Angel.

She sang to herself as she twirled around the lobby, imagining Angel's arms around her. So engrossed was she in her little fantasy that she didn't hear the chiming of the elevator behind her.

Ding

Spike was not happy. He was covered in dust from the road and without any pretty little mystical trinket to show for it. He'd come back to W&H in hopes that Gunn had left word of something to slay so that he could salvage his evening. He was determined **not** to think about the fact that Lily was with the Grand Poof tonight. Luck was not with him again as he exited the elevator and saw Lily swaying to the sounds of an invisible orchestra, singing Lerner and Lowe off key. _She looks delicious._

Unaware of Spike's scrutiny, Lily continued to twirl and sing:

"I'll never know what made it so exciting Why all at once my heart took flight I only know when he Began to dance with me I could have danced, danced, danced all night" Just as she finished the last line, her spinning brought her around to face Spike. She tried to stop abruptly, but between the freshly waxed floor and her impaired reflexes, Lily found herself slipping. And then, just as suddenly, a leather-clad arm snagged her and prevented her fall. Spike attempted to straighten the teetering girl in his arms, but Lily had become boneless. She swayed and swooned for a moment before pushing away from Spike. She held herself tantalizingly out of his reach and began humming a new tune. Her voice was low as she spun in front of him. Her soft scent was driving him just a little mad. When she grabbed his hands to pull him along with her dance, Spike began to listen to the lyrics in earnest. 

"We've just been introduced,  
I do not know you well,  
But when the music started  
Something drew me to your side.

So many men and girls,  
Are in each other's arms.  
It made me think we might be  
Similarly occupied.

Shall we dance?  
On a bright cloud of music shall we fly?  
Shall we dance?  
Shall we then say 'Goodnight' and mean 'Goodbye'?  
Or perchance,  
When the last little star has left the sky,  
Shall we still be together  
With our arms around each other?"

At that line, Lily drew herself into Spike's embrace. The warmth of her body flooded him, and as he tightened his grip on her waist, he brought his lips down to nuzzle her neck. Her voice caught for a moment as she turned to sing the final lines.

"And shall you be my new romance?  
On the clear understanding  
That this kind of thing can happen,  
Shall we dance?  
Shall we dance?  
Shall we dance?"

With the final words of the song, Lily stopped swaying and looked intently at the man before her. She was confused to see blue eyes instead of brown, blond instead of brunette. And then she remembered why she had come downstairs. _Spike is male and available and, from the look on his face, willing. Yay me! Smoochies!_ Lily leaned forward to kiss her erstwhile suitor.

Spike stifled a chuckle as Lily attempted to kiss him. On her current course, she would end up with a mouth full of leather. He reached for her chin to guide her mouth to his own when suddenly he paused. Something about her breath was off. _I know that scent, but why? The last time I remember that smell was when Mother…_ Spike let the thought trail off. He grabbed Lily by the wrist and began to pull her to the elevators. Lily let out a startled squeak as she went slipping across the floor.

"Sorry, pet. Just remembered that Percy and Fred wanted to see you. Somethin' about blood work. No time like the present, right?" Spike said as he jammed the elevator button.

"But I wanted smoochies!" Lily protested and promptly clamped her hand over her mouth as she foggily realized that she had spoken aloud.

Spike grinned and pulled her into the waiting elevator car. "Maybe later, luv."


	11. Chapter 11 Taunt Me

Chapter Eleven – Taunt Me

Disclaimer: All _Angel_ and _Buffy _properties belong to Joss Whedon and his associates. No infringement upon their rights is intended. This story is set in an alternate Season Five of _Angel._ Details from the canon run may appear from time to time. Italics indicate thoughts, and bold indicates emphasis. The title is once again cribbed from a song – Cole Porter's "So In Love" from the musical _Kiss Me Kate_.

Rating: M; Language, innuendo, drug use.

Spike stared at the elevator buttons as he and Lily dinged their way to the lab. Something was definitely off. He clenched his jaw briefly and then relaxed. _Fred's a smart girl. Nearly made me a real boy again. She'll figure out who slipped my girl a mickey._ He turned to look at Lily who had retreated to the far corner of the elevator. She was staring intently at the fringes of her shawl humming softly to herself. Spike began to move over to her when the doors slid open to reveal the Wolfram and Hart science department.

"How are we supposed to break a spell that isn't really a spell?" Fred asked as she paced from one lab computer monitor to the next. "None of these simulations are turning out well. If she chooses either of them, based on the data we've managed to compile, she duh –"

"So, Fred, brought Lily down for that blood work like you asked," interrupted Spike. Fred spun to face the new arrivals and plastered what she hoped was a hopeful smile on her face. She had no idea what Spike was talking about, but from the look of concern he was shooting Lily, she decided to play along.

"Right. The blood tests . . . for the. . .," her voice trailed off, and she looked desperately at Wesley for help.

"The counter-curse we're putting together," he finished smoothly. Wesley looked at Lily and felt his stomach clench. Her eyes were entirely too wide and vacant for his liking. He moved over to a crate that lay open on one of the lab tables and surreptiously grabbed hold of its contents. He turned to Spike who has attempting to lead the unsteady girl into the room. Wesley pitched his voice low so that Lily wouldn't hear and asked, "What exactly did you do to her, Spike?"

Spike let go of Lily's arm, and she wavered for a moment before Fred came around the counter and led her to a chair. Lily watched Spike with interest. _He has such nice hands. And arms, those are nice. They were nice around me. Wonder how I can get him…_Lily's thoughts were interrupted as the argument between Wesley and Spike escalated. Lily blinked hard to keep it all in focus. One minute the two men seemed to be talking quietly, and the next Wesley had knocked Spike flat on his back and had a rather nasty looking sword pointed at his neck. _How is that possible? Wesley got the drop on Spike? _Lily squinted trying to make sense of the scene before her. Then she noticed a cut on Spike's lip. _Oww, it's soo hard to focus. Did he have that cut before? _She looked at Wesley and Fred, who was pulling at his sleeve, as she got up from her chair and wandered over to the scene. As she got closer, Lily noticed some blood dripping from the pommel of the sword. _Oh, well, a pommel to the face will knock you on your butt for sure, I suppose._

Lily looked at the sword and ran her finger along the blade down to the point, nicking it in the process. Her fingertips brushed the tender skin of Spike's throat as she slid her hand underneath the blade. She looked from the blade to Wesley and said quietly, "You know, a Gurkha knife would work better. This one would cause too much splatter, ruin your tie, make you cry. And, besides, the markings would bind him to the sword." She pushed up on the blade as she finished, causing the point to dig into her already wounded palm. Wesley quickly moved the blade away from her. Lily looked down at her hand.

"Oh," she said with some surprise, holding her lightly bleeding hand up for Spike to see. "I think I've got a boo-boo." The scent of her blood was tart as it hit him, and he pulled away. Lily tilted her head to the side. "You don't like me anymore?"

Fred intervened as the plaintive tone of Lily's voice and the pained expression on Spike's face became more than she could bear. "I'm sure that's not it at all, Lily. Spike's just a little upset. What with Wesley tryin' to kill him and all." Fred shot Wesley an accusatory look as she reached for Lily's hand. "Why don't you come with me, and we'll get you bandaged up."

Fred moved the confused Lily out of earshot, and Wesley put away the sword – examining the markings Lily had pointed out. Spike got up from where Wesley had thrown him onto one of the lab tables and watched Lily as Fred helped her wash her hands and wrapped a clean white bandage around her palm. Wesley returned to where Spike stood staring and cleared his throat.

"Perhaps we should begin again. Why did you bring Lily down here, Spike?"

Spike took his time before answering, trying to tamp down the anger gurgling within him. The scent of Lily's blood still swirled in his nostrils, tempting and taunting him. Wesley cleared his throat again as Lily began to sing to herself and twirl in the open space near Fred's office. Fred had wandered back to one of the computers muttering. He could just hear the words Lily sang.

"So taunt me, and hurt me, deceive me, desert me. I'm yours till I die. So in love with you am I." Lily's voice was soft and tender, and her eyes lingered on Spike as she spun. _Damn, too much like Dru. Who'd want her to …_ Spike's thoughts trailed off as he felt Wesley pull on his arm. He jerked back.

"I'd watch myself. You've used up your free shot at me."

Wesley nodded. He'd been rather surprised that he had managed to fell Spike so easily and observing him watch Lily was making Wesley suspicious in a very different sort of way. Again he asked, "Spike, why did you bring her down here? What's going on?"

Spike ran his fingers through his hair causing bits to stand up wildly in places. "Haven't a clue. Found like her this, dancing in the lobby of the main floor. I'd just come back from a wild goose chase that the Ponce sent me on." Spike paused. "DAMN IT!" Spike's shout elicited a squeak from Lily, and he quickly lowered his voice. Some of the pieces were starting to fall into place for him, and from the look of it, Wesley was beginning to put the round pegs in too.

In a more even tone of voice, Spike told Wesley, "Just find out what drugs she's had. I think it's laudanum. Might've been mixed with the wine she was drinking. It'd make her passive, willing." His fists clenched.

Wesley nodded, not bothering to ask how Spike knew what the smell of laudanum was like. "Fred and I will stay with her." He looked over at Lily whose spins had gotten slower and slower. "We'll find a remedy to this situation soon, Spike."

"Lily mentioned that Hamilton showed up at some point in the evening. Might be worth having a bit of a talk with him." The angles of Spike's face deepened as he contemplated a "talk" with Hamilton.

"Right," Wesley agreed. He almost felt sorry for Hamilton. Almost. "We'll let you know what we discover." Spike began to move towards the elevator. He stopped and turned as Wesley continued, "I'm sorry I suspected that you had something to do with her condition." Spike raised an eyebrow. "Spell or not, you care for her. You wouldn't play with her like this."

Spike nodded, bemused. _Heart on my sleeve again. _He sighed and continued towards the elevator.

As Spike took his leave, Fred went over to the increasingly groggy Lily. "Why don't you go into my office and lie down on the couch, Lily? You look a little tired."

Lily stopped twirling and wavered a bit. _Stupid heels, making me all wobbly._ Lily reached down to take off her shoes and noticed they were already off. _When did I do that? Why am I in the lab? What's that buzzing? Fred, Fred is talking, err, buzzing, no, talking. What's she saying? _Lily groaned. The drugs had a stronger hold on her than perhaps they should; her body hadn't finished processing the last dose of opiates she'd received from her stay in the hospital. The buzzing became louder as the darkness whirled around her. Fred called to Wesley, who just managed to catch Lily as she fell. He took her into Fred's office and placed her on the couch. For the rest of the evening he and Fred took turns checking on her. Mostly she slept. Sometimes she would mumble something in her sleep, but neither Fred nor Wesley could decipher what it was. Spike did not return that evening; Wesley decided that his talk with Hamilton failed to turn up anything useful, which was not at all surprising.

By 10:30 the next morning, Wesley was seriously considering letting the two vampires fight one another for Lily. It seemed the only way to get rid of the spell. He sighed wishing he could talk through potential options, but Lily was still asleep and Fred had gone home a couple of hours earlier to catch a few hours of sleep.

_Perhaps a counter-curse would work. If I could only figure out which deities to call on, Eros perhaps? Freya? Qetesh?_

At around 11 o'clock, he heard a loud groan come from Fred's office. He rushed into the office and found Lily with her head in her hands; the groan had turned into a soft sobbing. He placed a tentative hand on her shoulder as Lily continued to cry for a few moments more. The evening had come rushing back to her once she awoke. She felt queasy as she thought about the things she said and did. It was painfully embarrassing. Wesley's silent gesture of comfort only made the horror of it all the more keen. She took a deep shuddering breath and resolved to spend the next three days figuring out what it was that she felt. She'd end the spell as soon as she knew an answer. Anything was better than this waiting.

Lily raised her head and looked at Wesley. _He's a good friend. He won't say anything._ "If I tell you my answer, you won't let him know will you, Wes?"

Wesley paused. On the one hand, Spike and Angel deserved to know if she cared for one of them. On the other, if Lily was right, the feelings that seem reciprocal now would turn into something else once the spell ended. "No, I won't tell him. Do you **have **an answer?"

Lily shook her head. _Ow. That was dumb._ "Not yet. Soon though. I've just got to reconcile some things before I can say it aloud." She picked up her shoes and headed towards the door. "I'm going to get some things from my locker and clean up down here. Is there anything you need me to work on today?"

"You're going to work? You realize that that's not necessary. Not after the day you had."

"I need to, Wes. Soldier on and all that."

"I don't have anything pressing at the moment for you to translate. Pick something light from the vault."

Lily looked at him, raised her eyebrows and began to laugh. At first the laugh was brittle and sharp, but as it continued the tone smoothed out and soon Wesley was laughing with her. Fred came in to find the two of them weeping and laughing.

"Glad to see things have improved," Fred said.

"Not really, Fred," Lily said as she wiped her eyes. "Just reveling in the hilarity that is life at Wolfram and Hart. You know, this **is** kinda funny. In a world where funny means horrific." Lily moved off to the lockers down the hall from the lab. "I'll check in with you later, Wesley. Go home. Rest. My little problem won't get worse just because you decided to take care of yourself."

Thirty minutes later, Lily emerged from the steamy shower room feeling less queasy and thoroughly cleansed. She had meticulously removed all traces of Armand's pampering from her person; not a scrap of polish or paint remained on her body. She was as pink and slick as a newborn. She quickly wrapped her body and her wet hair in a couple of fluffy towels. As she exited the shower room and headed across the hall to the locker room to dress the towel on her head was coming loose. She bent over to readjust it and as she came up she found herself face to face with Spike.

For his part, Spike was startled to see anyone down in the lab. He'd come in to report to Wesley that he had nothing to report and to check on Lily. As it was Saturday and Fred had taken Wesley home, the lab had been empty. He'd heard water running in the shower room and come to investigate. He was pleased to see that Lily was well enough to be up and about although her eyes still looked a little vacant and her body a little slack.

Lily put a hand to her head to keep the towel from falling off again and smiled tentatively at Spike.

"Hiya."

Spike smirked. _She sounds so uncertain, as if I might laugh at her._ He looked at the girl wrapped in white towels. Laughter was not the response he was having to the sight before him. "Hiya yourself. Feeling better?"

"Much." Lily tried to think if she had run into Spike the evening before. She hoped not; she didn't want him to see her all loopy and sappy. "You're in awful early," she said as she moved past him and into the locker room. She left the door open for him to follow if he chose. It didn't escape his notice that she seemed perfectly at ease with him even though she wore next to nothing. Lily began to rub the towel against her hair.

"Needed to check with Wesley." The towel stopped. Lily examined her hands.

"Oh. Of course." Her tone became flat and lifeless. She opened a locker door and took out a stack of clean clothes. She moved to take off the towel and stopped to look at Spike.

Spike dutifully turned around so she could change. He kept his gaze on his boots even though it would have been more natural to look straight ahead. But looking straight ahead meant he would be looking at the wall of mirrors and at Lily as she changed. And so he looked at his boots and tried to think of something to say to bring the life back into her voice. Lily pulled on her pants and T-shirt as quickly as she could.

"All done. You can turn around now." _He didn't even try to look. The spell must not be that strong for him. _Lily sat on the bench in front of the lockers and began to run a comb through her hair. "Did you need something from me?"

"No… Yes, actually. Will you have dinner with me?" Spike asked. _Gonna have to cancel the original plan. From what Hamilton told me, it would end up being too much like the Poof's. From the look of her, simple might be the way to go._

Lily stopped combing, confused by the question. _I wish he would make up his mind. Either he's interested or he's not._ "Sure. When?"

"I'll stop by at 5 this afternoon. No need to dress up. We'll just play it by ear if that's alright with you."

"Um, sure. I'd like that. I'll be in the vault."

"Right, 5 o'clock then," Spike hesitated for a moment, gazing hard at the girl before him and then spun on his heel and left.

_I've got no idea what I'm going to do_ echoed in two heads as the door to the locker room softly swung shut.


	12. Chapter 12 Walking through the Valley

Chapter Twelve – Walking Through the Valley

Disclaimer: All Angel and Buffy properties belong to Joss Whedon and his associates. No infringement upon their rights is intended. This story is set in an alternate Season Five of _Angel_. Details from the canon run may appear from time to time. Italics indicate thoughts, and bold indicates emphasis. Chapter title thanks to Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'." Lines from Sonnet XV from _Sonnets from the Portuguese_ by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Rating: M; Language, innuendo, drug use.

Lily had wandered the halls of Wolfram and Hart for at least an hour after Spike left trying to decide exactly what she was doing. And what the two handsome and incredibly dangerous men who were courting her were doing. _What if what I'm feeling is also being affected by the spell? What if what I feel is just an extension of what Buffy feels for them? _Lily allowed herself to hope for a second. _If I'm making a choice based on Buffy's feelings, then I'm not emotionally culpable, right? _Lily paused in her pacing. In the heartbeat it took her to think that, Lily knew it was a lie. Flashes of working on a prophecy, of being lifted by gentle hands, of being held tenderly toyed with her. She exhaled heavily and moved to the elevators, swearing in at least four different languages.

"You're doing well for someone who's been drugged, Ms. Rose."

Lily spun towards the voice and barely kept her lip from curling. _Great. What could the Senior Partners want with me? I swear I liked it better when Eve was the liaison. She was a little easier to direct. _ Lily addressed Hamilton, barely keeping the disdain out of her voice."Can I do something for you, Hamilton?"

"No need to get snippy with me," Hamilton replied as he toyed with a file in his hands. "I have some information I'd like you to use your talents on."

"You seem to be under some misapprehension. I don't work for **you**, Hamilton."

"Your contract…"

Lily interrupted, "Is with **Angel.** **Not** with Wolfram and Hart. All the forms I signed are for sub-contractors." She smiled at the vacant expression on Hamilton's face. _Senior Partners don't tell their lapdogs everything, now, do they?_

Hamilton shrugged. "Be that as it may, I would have thought you would want to know who fed you laudanum last night."

"Laudanum? I hardly think I'm a victim in a 19th century penny-dreadful. No one drugged me," Lily didn't bother to ask how Hamilton knew what state she had been in. "Not that it's any of your affair--, business, but I simply had too much wine after having too many painkillers in a 48-hour period."

Hamilton rubbed his jaw. Lily was surprised to notice a faint bluish tinge developing along his left cheek. "Funny, but that isn't what a certain blond vampire thinks." He turned back towards the elevators.

"Wait, Spike saw me last night?" Lily reached out toward his departing figure, catching his arm. She suddenly began to feel ill.

Hamilton's smile-that-wasn't returned as he allowed her to pull his body back towards her. "Perhaps." He held the file out to her. "Translate this, and I may be able to help you out of your current dilemma with less humiliation than Wyndham-Pryce has been able to offer you so far."

Lily looked at the file, then at the man holding it. The proverbial pin dropped. "No."

"I'm sorry?" Hamilton glowered at her through half-closed lids. "I don't believe I heard you."

"Oh, you heard me," Lily turned toward the ceiling and raised her voice, "and I'm sure the Senior Partners heard me, too. The answer is no, Hamilton." Lily's voice began to quaver slightly. "I'll weather this spell just fine without their help."

Hamilton gave her the once over, before he continued toward the elevators. The doors opened, and he stepped smoothly inside. Before the doors shut, he made an ominous prediction. "I doubt that, Ms. Rose. I sincerely doubt it."

In the penthouse above, Angel stared at the ceiling reviewing the previous evening's adventure. Things had been going so well, and then Hamilton showed up. A growl began to bubble in Angel's chest. Events had taken a solid turn for the worse from there. _On the bright side, Wolfram and Hart has one less client. _The growl died in his chest as he recalled taking care of the starlet. Pathetic really what some girls would do for a moment in the figurative sun. She'd been ridiculously easy to dispatch. _How had that slattern managed to survive the last 5 decades?_ Angel shook his head. _ Lily, on the other hand, would be much more of a challenge. _His mood darkened again as he recalled that Lily wasn't waiting for him when he returned. Grudgingly, he admitted that waiting for two hours alone on a rooftop might have been a bit much to ask of a woman he was trying to woo. He had received a modicum of reassurance from Wesley when he saw him earlier. Wesley had been quick to promise that she was perfectly fine and that she wasn't angry. _I should do something to apologize. Hmm. _Angel ran through the possibilities. _Ah yes, that will do nicely. _Angel smiled slightly as he allowed himself to relax. He'd be busy tonight.

In a small underground apartment, thoughts of Lily occupied someone else as well.

"Damn you, you fuzzy ponce! Grab the crystal already." Spike yelled at his television screen as Crash Bandicoot lived up to his name, slid off his board, and slammed into the snowy cliff wall. He hit reset and began another game, trying not to look at the clock or think about his date with Lily.

After several fruitless and crystalless minutes, he flung the controllers away and ran his fingers through his hair. He glanced at the clock, sighed, and flicked off the television. He had plenty of time to ponder his upcoming date with Lily, too much time in fact. He was jittery, and he loathed it. He'd never been on a date before. Certainly stake outs with Buffy did not count as dates, as she had pointed out on more than one occasion. In life, he'd barely been able to utter a coherent sentence in front of a girl. Spike shook his head at his own track record. _Pathetic. All I have to do is take the chit out. How hard could it be? He of the disgustingly loud shirts managed to woo the both the cheerleader and the vengeance demon. Surely I can take __**one**__ girl out on one date. _He found himself standing in front of his closet, looking at a serious lack of attire. Despondently, he flung himself on the bed. _Right, well I'm in LA; I've done the town before. Course those girls were a quick shag and a bit of a nip. Lily is neither. _

"Face it, mate. You're screwed," he said aloud. The only reply Spike got to his observation was the low hum of his refrigerator.

Lily for her part had found her way back down to her office. As Spike tried to relax on his bed, Lily lay upon her couch with a book rising and falling on her chest. After Hamilton's departure, she'd rummaged about in the breakroom and found some leftovers to ease her queasiness. She then made her way to the vault where she picked up what appeared to be a script of some kind. To her surprise, it had been an early draft of _Citizen Kane_. Apparently, Welles had written a much darker and more damning account of Kane and by extension of William Randolph Hearst. Herman Mankiewicz followed Welles' original story faithfully in the draft Lily had found. It was fascinating, but she only managed to read for half an hour before she gave in to the residual drowsiness from the night before. For two blissful hours, she slept untormented by the choice before her. The old-fashioned mantle clock she kept atop one of the shorter bookcases woke her as it struck four. Lily stretched trying to remove the languor from her limbs. _Spike'll be here in the hour. Why did I say yes? _Lily wandered over to one of the bookcases and placed the script on a shelf. _This can only end in tears._ Shaking her head, she headed back to her locker and the shower room. _Steam might make me feel better and maybe I've got something more appropriate to wear in my locker. Thank God for the vagaries of this job. I've got enough potential outfits stowed away in that locker to meet virtually anyone. _

Had he known, Spike would rather have been in the locker room at Wolfram and heart. Instead, he -was in the process of swearing roundly at his nearly empty closet. It was a rather pathetic accounting of his existence. Three black T-shirts, four pairs of black jeans, one pair of blue ones. That was the sum total of his wardrobe. _Dru always had a flair for this. She'd know what I should wear. _He felt a slight twinge at the thought of his sire and then chuckled at the thought of her picking an outfit for him to go out on the town with another girl. _Dru would like Lily. Probably see her as a bit of a doll. _Spike quickly derailed that train of thought. Drusilla had a nasty habit of smashing in the heads of her dolls when she was displeased. He idly began to move the clothes about in his closet. A muted thud caught his attention as a dark lump appeared on the floor at his feet. Bending, Spike retrieved an old black sweater. The cotton fibers were soft and smooth beneath his fingers. _Serendipity_ _it is then._ He pulled the sweater over his head and grabbed a pair of jeans. _Wish I could see myself. Might be nice to know that I don't look like a great git before I leave. _Spike stopped at his refrigerator and poured himself a meal. _No sense in being peckish before going out. _As he popped his mug in the microwave, his eyes fell on the leather volume he'd placed on the counter last evening before his fruitless hunt. He flipped open the book and stopped to read a passage:

"I will not soil thy purple with my dust,  
Nor breathe my poison on thy Venice-glass,  
Nor give thee any love -- which were unjust."

Spike slammed the book closed, ignoring the angry beeping of his microwave. _Sod serendipity. _He grabbed his coat and his keys and moved out into the darkened alley.

Lily looked at herself in the mirror for what seemed the umpteenth time. _At least the bags under my eyes don't look like steamer trunks anymore. _She gave a less than ladylike snort. _If Spike's actually in love with this wreck, he is nuts. I just wish …_

"You look nice," declared a voice from behind her.

Lily blushed as she turned to see who spoke. Her breath caught in her throat in the most clichéd way. Spike was stunning. _There's something oddly surreal about being in his presence. Particularly like this. All I can hear in my head is the Eagles. Wonder if he expects me to tag along with the spider to eternity?_

"Are you feeling up to this?" Spike asked, a bit put off by the expression on Lily's face. She seemed distracted, disconnected. "I know you had a bit of a late night last night."

Lily continued to color in that splotchy way that could hardly be called attractive. _Damn it. Why is it that I can't manage to be around him without falling all to pieces or saying something stupid. I really hope he didn't see me much last night. _She swallowed slowly before replying, trying to will down the color in her cheeks. "Actually, I would really like an outing right about now, if you're still interested."

Spike allowed himself the classic once-over before replying. _She's not Buffy, she's not Buffy. _He smiled, revealing those deep V's Lily noticed upon their first meeting. "I think it's safe to say that I am." He extended his arm toward her and led her up from the depths and into the night.

_Riding in a dark convertible Thunderbird with Spike might be the single most exhilarating thing I have ever done._ As in their earlier drive, Spike said little and periodically played with the dial of the radio, searching for music that appealed to him. Tonight the music lacked the edge of those earlier selections. He paused for a bit on a station that played music from the British Invasion. Lily was snuggled down into the seat and had eased towards the middle of the car as Spike drove down the darkened streets of LA. An instrumental came on that Lily didn't recognize.

"Who's this? I don't know this number."

"Hmm?" Spike smoothly weaved in and out of lanes. "'The Supernatural' by John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers." He pulled off the road and into a parking lot. Lily tilted her head to the side and stared at Spike. "What? I know things," said Spike his tone slightly defensive.

Lily smiled slightly. "I had no doubt of that. I'm just surprised by the breadth and depth of your knowledge. It's attractive." She reached down to unbuckle her seatbelt and slid from the car. "Where are we?"

_Knowledge is attractive now is it? Wished I'd known that when I had a pulse. _"Near Graumann's. You haven't had an opportunity to go, have you?"

Lily's face became animated. "No, but it's been on my list of things to do for quite some time."

The two crossed the street and made their way to Graumman's Chinese theater. The early night air began to chill, and Lily rubbed her arms a bit as they walked and talked.

"We could find a restaurant and get a bit to eat if you'd like. Might warm you up while we're at it."

"That would be nice. I seem to be a little sensitive to the temperature shifts lately."

They spotted a quiet little café, and Lily ordered a modest meal. Spike ordered a cup of cocoa with little marshmallows. Lily ducked her head and stifled a giggle as Spike took his first sip and lowered his mug to reveal a thin chocolate mustache.

The meal was a full one both in terms of the offerings of the café and the conversation between Spike and Lily. Each learned a little something unexpected about the other. Lily discovered that Spike rather liked the music hall dramas of his youth. Spike was amused to discover that Lily had once been a barrel rider. The two remained in the café long after Lily had finished her cheesecake. The management seemed almost embarrassed to ask them to leave so that they could close. In fact, the couple had been the topic of much conversation among the staff. Half believed that they were a married couple on a second honeymoon, while the other half believed that Spike was working on merely getting to first base. Either way the consensus among the staff and some of the patrons was that the couple in the back corner was in some stage of love.

As they left the café and began the walk back to the car, Lily slid her hand into Spike's. His palm was smooth and while not soft it lacked coarseness. Spike was rather pleased with himself. Determined to make the calm of the evening last, he tried to think of somewhere non-threatening to take her. Then he remembered a bit of their conversation from New Year's and knew precisely where he needed to take her next. By this point they had reached their car.

"Where are we headed now?"

"I thought you might like a bit of a surprise." Spike slung his arm across the back of the bench seat. Lily wiggled her way over to him and into the crook of his arm.

She resisted the urge to ask "Are we there yet?" at least half a dozen times. Finally they arrived at their destination or at least Lily assumed they had.

"Ready for a bit of a walk then?"

"Um, sure? Where are we again?"

"Mount Lee. We've got a bit of a ways to go, but I think the view will be worth it."

"Uh-huh. You realize you may have to carry me, don't you?"

Spike chuckled, "Carried Dru through half of Europe and most of South America. Don't really see you being that big a problem."

Lily stopped. "Who's Dru?"

_Oh bloody hell. She doesn't know who Dru is. I wonder if there's a way to make this less terrifying for her. I can hear it now. Well, love, in addition to a slayer and a ditzy cheerleader vampire, I've also managed to be in a century long relationship with my sire who is a clairvoyant, slightly mad vampire turned by Angelus on a lark after he killed a convent full of nuns and Dru's whole family on the day she was to take her vows. I wonder if they would hear Lily's screams in Santa Carla._

The pause before Spike spoke told Lily everything she needed to know. _Great, another grand love. Not only do I have to compete with the Slayer, but there's this woman he'd supported and cared for across two continents. There's no competing with that._

Spike was still trying to figure out how to broach the subject of Dru when he looked over at Lily. They had begun to move up Mount Lee again, but Lily's body language said she had given up. Her limbs carried her rigidly up the slope as though she were a marionette whose strings were too tight. Lily's jerky movements were propelling her further and further from Spike.

"She's ancient history, Lily. I haven't seen her in over a year," he called out to her. "The past will always mean something, but the present means more." He watched her pause for a brief moment and was surprised at the near instantaneous shift in her body. She waited for him to catch up with her and linked her arm with his.

"Oh," she said.

They continued the climb in relative silence with Spike supporting her a good deal on the way up. Spike stopped abruptly. He pulled Lily close and pointed out towards LA.

Lily looked down, "The Hollywood sign? Isn't it illegal to be so close to the sign?"

Spike raised an eyebrow, "We work for Wolfram and Hart, Lil. I don't think the law will be much of a worry."

"You're the second person to make that mistake today," Lily murmured as she sat down to take in the view. "I never signed a contract with Wolfram and Hart, and as I understand it, once you got your body back, they don't have a claim on you either."

Spike eased down behind Lily and wrapped his arms around her. "That right?"

Lily leaned into his chest. "Mmm-hmm." She sighed contentedly and Spike smiled.

Ten beautifully quiet minutes passed, and then there was a slight noise behind them.

"Do you think he means to make so much noise?"

"Heard that too did you?" Spike whispered into her ear.

"Mugger or one of you?"

Spike tilted his head to the side, listening. "He wishes he was one of me," he grumbled, thoroughly disgusted at how the evening was playing out.

Lily scooted around to face him and pulled one of the skewers from her hair. "I'm sure he does. Here," she said handing Spike the polished length of wood. "this might come in handy." Spike looked from the wood and back to Lily. "What? Call it insurance. It's hawthorn and should do the job just fine. I knew for whom I was coming to work."

Spike wanted to lean in and give her a kiss in that moment. _Good girl. You're nobody's victim._ Unfortunately at that moment, the vampire who would be known as Dusty decided to pounce, pushing Lily away from Spike.

A roar escaped Spike's throat as his game face slipped into place. Dusty lunged for Lily who in spite of her lack of energy managed to slip away. Spike grabbed Dusty by the scruff of the neck and pulled him off the ground.

"Mine!" he snarled as he plunged the hawthorn skewer deep into Dusty's chest. The vampire exploded rather predictably, and as the dust settled, Spike saw Lily standing with her mouth open slightly. Her jaw moved for a moment before any sound came out.

"Maybe we should go home now," she said and quickly passed Spike and headed down the mountain.

Somehow she managed to make it to the car before Spike. He opened the door for her, and she slid in, staying close to the door.

Spike started the car and headed back toward town. "You all right?"

"I'm okay. Just a little tired. I've had a lovely evening," Lily reached out and squeezed his hand as it rested on the steering wheel.

He slid his right hand off the wheel and entwined her fingers in his. _Well, that's actually quite comfortable._ At the second traffic light, Spike realized he had no idea where Lily lived.

"Um, Lily, where do you live?"

She laughed and gave him directions. _Great. She lives two floors above Harm. Nothing like a meeting of the ex's._

They rode in silence into the parking garage. Their hands stayed entwined as they walked through the lobby and up the elevator. To his amusement, Spike was able to get her home before midnight. "Guess you won't turn in to a pumpkin then, eh?"

She laughed again and Spike decided that as laughs went, that was one he could spend a century or more listening to. They stopped when they came to her door, and Lily slipped her hand out of Spike's to retrieve her key.

She put it in the lock, but just as she was about to turn the knob, Spike grabbed her arm and pulled her around to him. She blinked in confusion. _Oh! _Spike leaned down to her and just before their lips met, Lily leaned on the knob and the door pushed open. She stumbled back across the threshold; Spike pulled up short. Lily paused to get her bearings for a second trying to figure out why Spike seemed stuck on the other side of the door, why her door was unlocked, and most importantly, as her eyes began to scan her apartment, why there were roses of all sizes and shapes littering every available surface.

From behind her, Lily heard a voice.

"Oh good. You're home."


	13. Chapter 13 Devoutly to be Wished

Chapter Thirteen – Devoutly to Be Wished

Disclaimer: All Angel and Buffy properties belong to Joss Whedon and his associates. No infringement upon their rights is intended. This story is set in an alternate Season Five of _Angel_. Details from the canon run may appear from time to time. Italics indicate thoughts, and bold indicates emphasis. Chapter title thanks to William Shakespeare's _Hamlet_. After a long hiatus, here's the penultimate chapter. I appreciate your patience.

Rating: M; Language, innuendo, drug use.

* * *

Lily turned toward the sound with a mixture of hope and dread. There stood Angel looking perfectly at home amid the floral chaos.

Angel crossed the room in a few strides and gently pulled Lily away from the door and more specifically, from Spike.

"So good of you to see her home, Willie," Angel said with a slight sneer over the top of Lily's head. "I think I can handle things from here." He draped his arms around her crossing his palms over her stomach.

Spike's eyes narrowed at Angel's tone and his use of an old and abandoned nickname. _He hasn't called me that since that night in the Royal London. The night he told me Drusilla wasn't mine…_

"Lil, love, come back out of the apartment like a good girl, now." Spike's tone was flat and hard. He tried to step into the apartment and bounced off the barrier. "Please Lil. I need you to come to me."

"Course you do, Willie. You always did hate to be left out of the play." Angel tightened his grip on Lily, pulling her into his chest. She fit there nicely and seemed to relax against him. He smiled; she was nearly ready to make her choice. "Why don't you run along? Let me take care of her. After all, Drusilla's always wanted a sister." Angel brushed Lily's hair from around her neck, revealing the fount just waiting to be tapped.

"No!" Spike slammed into the barrier, trying through sheer force of will to break through the magic and get to Lily. For the second time that night, he shouted, "Mine!"

"Tsk, tsk, Willie. Don't you remember? Nothing belongs to you. You can take what you want, but you can never **have** anything."

Lily watched the two men posture at one another. She seemed disconnected from it all, at least until she heard Drusilla's name. Her eyes widened as she realized what was going on. Spike's declaration had nothing to do with her; instead, it had everything to do with taking something from Angel. She wanted to scream, to stake them both and be done with the gnawing feeling in her chest. Instead she turned in Angel's arms and reached up placing her hand on his cheek to gain his attention. She tried to still her trembling and hoped that he saw it as anticipation rather than fear. Angel paused in his baiting of Spike.

"There's no need to taunt him, Angel. I understand. Let me send him home," she whispered. He smiled slowly and let her go. Lily turned and returned to the doorway and placed her hand on the door to close it.

"Lil, no, please, pet. You don't get it…" Spike began, desperate to make her see what was happening. "Listen, invite me in. We can all have a chat."

"No, William. There will be no chatting tonight. Thank you for this evening. I understand now," she gazed at him for a long moment before closing the door in his face. She held back tears as she heard him slam his fist into the door. Taking a deep breath, she put on a game face of her own and moved back to Angel, who leaned against her couch looking all too pleased with himself.

"Do you like the roses?" he asked as though the tension of moments before never happened.

Lily smiled faintly, "They're lovely, overwhelming, but lovely." She reached a hand to her forehead and winced. "Would you excuse me for a minute? I seem to be developing a bit of a headache. I'll just go and freshen up. Don't go anywhere."

"Wouldn't dream of it, my girl. You and I have some arrangements to make."

Lily moved quickly to her small bathroom and closed the door behind her. She turned on the faucet and pulled her cell phone out of her purse. Flipping it open, she texted a brief message and hit send. Then she began to wash her face allowing the cool water to ease the pain in her forehead.

Back in the Wolfram and Hart offices, Wesley sat with tome upon tome spread before him, searching for some way to untangle the spell that had Lily, Spike, and Angel in its grip. Still reluctant to bring in the mystic department on this case, he was beginning to think it might be necessary. A buzzing from under one of the books startled him out of that line of thinking. Wesley picked up his cell, and then he began to swear as he grabbed his keys and ran for the garage.

Lily wiped off the rest of her makeup and came out of the bathroom. She found Angel reclining on her sofa. She marveled at the power that seemed to emanate from him. It was appealing and frightening. She stole a quick look at the door. There was silence for a moment, and then she heard a chuckle from the couch.

"He gave up the pounding a few minutes ago. I suppose he realized there's nothing in this world that he wants that I can't take from him." Lily bristled a bit at being referred to as an object. _Not much longer. I can make my choice, and this will all be over. _

She sighed before moving towards the sitting area. "Angel, you know this is all the work of the spell. Spike doesn't **really **want me any more than you do."

Angel held out a hand to her as she came around the edge of the sofa and gently pulled her down next to him. "I wouldn't be so sure of that. I know my intentions have little to do with magic," as he spoke Angel began to run his fingers through her hair. His touch was gentle, and she found herself calmed by the gesture. "So, my girl, what shall we do with our evening, then?"

Lily tried to formulate a reply but was interrupted by a knock. She reluctantly extricated herself from Angel's ministrations and opened the door. She nearly cried with joy when she saw Wesley standing there, bottle of holy water and crossbow at the ready.

"Are you alright?" he asked in a rush. Lily nodded and reached for the door to the closet just inside the entryway. She grabbed a duffle lying on the closet floor and moved to leave.

She felt an iron grip on her wrist which forced her to pause. She had hoped to slip out before he could react. In hindsight she recognized the folly of such an idea. Angel was scowling at her, and the lines of his face were slowly morphing into his demonic visage. Behind her she heard Wesley slide a bolt into place.

"Okay. Let's just take a moment to breathe here, gentlemen," she looked directly at Angel. "Metaphorically speaking, of course."

Angel waited for her to continue but did not release her hand. "This is beautiful," Lily began, her free hand gesturing to the apartment full of flowers. "And if you're offering me what I think you are…" Angel nodded. "Then I'm going to need some time to consider. Actions have direct and logical consequences, Angel. I need to get this right. I need some time to sort things out. Wesley offered to give me a ride if I needed to go. I need to **go.**"

Angel bent down to her. His grip on her wrist lightened as he pulled her up to meet him. The kiss he gave her was far from chaste; it was filled with hunger, the hunger of both man and vampire, and it left her dizzy. When he released her, he spoke very clearly and deliberately, "I'm letting you go because you asked, but know that the choice is made already. You've already picked the path, Lily. Don't keep me waiting too long."

She swallowed slowly, the taste of him lingering on her lips. "You won't have to wait long. Thank you, Angel." She turned to Wesley and moved out toward the elevators. She had to get away quickly or else she might blurt out her choice, and there was one more thing she had to do before she committed herself.

Angel watched her walk away into the elevators; when the doors slid closed he exited her apartment and began his stroll back to his own, confident that within 24 hours the deal would be done.

Lily didn't speak as they traveled to the Beverly Hilton and Wesley didn't ask any questions. Neither of them noticed the dark Charger that followed them onto the freeway. He took her to the Beverly Hilton as they had planned and helped her check in. He walked her to her room. She slid the key card in and out of the slot and pushed the door open.

"I appreciate you riding in as the cavalry, Wes. It means a lot to know I can count on you." She hugged him. "Don't worry if you don't hear from me for the next day or so. I've got a lot of thinking to do."

"Do you think that's wise? The effects of the proximity clause could be stronger given how long the spell has been in place."

"Given the close personal attention I've had today, I think I'll be safe for the next 24 hours."

"I will find a way out of this for you, Lily."

"I trust you, Wes."

"Good night, Lily." Wesley moved down the hall toward the elevators muttering about anti-love spells and candles with sigils or perhaps contacting some priestesses of Aphrodite he knew in New Zealand.

Lily went into the room and sat on the edge of the bed for several moments. _He should be gone by now. _Lily checked the hallway and headed down to the front desk to check out. She paid for the night in cash and left her cell phone at the desk. As she headed for the cab stand, Lily picked up a shadow. Her shadow moved to the dark Charger waiting across the street and waited to see where she was headed. She got into a cab and headed for the Hotel Angeleno; the Charger moved into traffic behind her cab. The figure behind the wheel was puzzled at her move but resolved to keep watch over this new hideout for as long as it lasted.

Once safely ensconced in her new room, Lily pulled a fresh phone out of her duffel. She punched in a number from memory and waited for the other party to pick up. As she waited, she pulled out her clothes and some supplies, including a bag of Dead Sea salt and several votive candles.

"Hello? Yes, I know what time it is. No, it's not the end of the world, but I need to call in a favor." Lily cleared a space on the floor and grabbed the bag of sea salt. She sprinkled the salt on the carpet creating a pentangle and then a circle. "I need the entries that detail the activities of Angel and Spike, Giles." There was a burst of noise on the other end of the line. "No, Giles. They haven't gone bad. There's no need to send in a bevy of slayers to take care of this situation." She sighed. "Please, Rupert, just send me the files. You said you would if I asked, so I'm asking." She placed a votive at each point of the pentangle. "I've set up a circle. Let me know when you can send them." There was an angry buzz. "Don't claim you can't find me. I know you still carry the talisman I gave you." Lily listened quietly for a moment. "Yes, Giles, I will be careful. Thank you."

She went into the bathroom and began to run a hot bath while she waited for Giles' signal, then she would light the candles. The cell phone chirped at her elbow. She cut off the water to the tub and moved back into the bedroom to light the votives. Within moments, there was a popping noise and a large stack of papers and books appeared in the middle of her pentangle. The phone chirped again.

"Yes, everything arrived just fine. I'll get them back to you as soon as I can."

Lily moved to the bathroom for a soak, hoping that she would emerge relaxed enough to sort through the notes of two centuries worth of Watchers. Half an hour later, a rather pink Lily exited the bathroom wrapped in a fluffy white robe. She picked up the documents from the floor and began to read.

The entries began in 1753 and were filled with corpses and assorted horrors; in 1880, William joined the carnage. Angelus disappeared from the Watchers' radar around 1902 only to reappear in the mid-1990s. Spike continued to spill blood at Drusilla's side throughout the 20th century until he fell in love with Buffy. It was three in the morning by the time Lily finished the chronicles. Her eyes burned and she felt a bit queasy. _ I thought this would make things easier. That knowing who they were, what they were capable of would make the decision easier. But knowing the past doesn't make it any better. It doesn't change the way I feel. _Lily lay back on the pillows and closed her eyes. She couldn't fight the need to sleep even though she was fairly certain her dreams would be colored by what she had read. _Tomorrow I'll talk to Wesley. He can know, and he won't judge._

In the hotel's parking garage, a figure settled into the front seat for a bit of a rest of his own. He too had decided to wait for tomorrow, for tomorrow held all the possibilities in the world. It was destiny after all.


End file.
